The North Hall is the dark underbelly of CES, where earphones and iPhone cases go to die. It's also a pretty good place to check out some bizarre products with zero chance of making it to the mainstream, and that's certainly the case with the Inventist Solowheel — a crazy take on a Segway crossed with a unicycle. You ride the thing by squeezing the central pillar between your calves and leaning in your desired direction. What could go wrong?

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Wow, that looks incredibly safe!
/s
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:04 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
No more dangerous than a skateboard. People are way too safety conscious these days. Just have fun.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:30 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Prediction: Solowheel of Death XGames – freestyle and vert.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 3:11 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Actually, I think this should be part of a team sport. Solo wheel hockey, for example.
Posted on Jan 14, 2012 | 1:30 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Best ending to a CES video yet.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 3:22 PM EST reply Recommend (8) Flag actions
This is proof of the line between cool and mental… Guess which category this beast falls in?
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:07 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
video works well again, yeah!!!
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:08 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
anytime they post using their player, I go straight to youtube but alas this one has not yet made it there.
I still wonder how hitting a bump or stopping suddenly works. faceplant?
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:10 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
You stop by leaning back. As you can see, I was not informed of this.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:11 PM EST reply Recommend (18) Flag actions
That was awesome!
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:40 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
hahhaha this is too funny. SpnKix = way better concept.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:13 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
The Verge must have a great insurance plan.
Something like that needs a handlebar if anything so that the user would feel more stable.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:15 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Hahaha, love the ending.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:15 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
This was much better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJNcKmNy0s (took me a while to find)
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:17 PM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions
The ending is priceless.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:17 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Just trying to get on it looks inconvenient and unpractical but I can see the prospect of it being used by adrenaline junkies.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:17 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
It tops out at 10 MPH – roughly a jogging-pace. It’s not going to thrill anyone, but it might turn your 15-minute walk to work into a 5-minute ride. However, for the price, you should probably just get a really nice road bike.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:46 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
The average jogging pace is somewhere near 5-6 MPH. 10 significantly faster than the average jog (The average marathon takes ~ 4 hours. With this thing, you could do that in 2 and a half).
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 2:49 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
It’s EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS! http://www.inventist.com/eStore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=14 There is probably about $400 worth of parts in the thing. That’s shameless.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
You must mean shameful..
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:46 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Shameless and shameful are interchangeable.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 9:44 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I have a flying car. It’s $900 of loose parts in a box.
Now I just need someone to figure out how to make a flying car from the parts and assemble it for free,
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 2:05 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Witty response… I’d +1 if I could.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 5:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I understand there is R&D and Marketing and all the ancillary costs around bringing a product to market. There is also the need to turn a profit. But finally there is the concept of pricing something at a point where people will pay for it. There is nothing truly innovative with this product. There are a dozen Segway rip-offs out there (even unicycle versions) so there is no reason to inflate the price of this product to this extent. It’s a battery, a wheel, a motor, and some gyro sensors.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 9:47 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Great video lol. This must be embarrassing for the company who makes this crap
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:40 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Well, there were staff at the booth zooming around the floor on these at top speed, and it was actually kind of awesome — it probably just takes practice. Which is something I had had precisely none of before shooting this video.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:53 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Great video..
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:15 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I want to ride one of those down the aisle of an airplane that’s landing with high crosswinds.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:51 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Great video, it makes me not want to ride one of those… ever. Also, the training wheels are a nice touch.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 12:52 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
LOL @ the ending. Is he ok?? Haha.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:11 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
So is it electrically powered or does the squeezing motion of the calves power it somehow?
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
And to elaborate, this actually isn’t a terrible idea, a simple bar to hold on to would make mainstream adoption a bit easier (it could be removable)
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 1:38 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I love the fact that the first thing you hit was A CAR.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions
Does anyone know what the official car of CES is?
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 2:16 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
My vids have consistently been failing to play in IE9. I get to see the commercial, but the real content never actually starts. Fix on the way?
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 2:33 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
How about using a good web browser? ;)
Posted on Jan 16, 2012 | 9:10 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I live in Chicago and I’ve seen two people ride by me on these in the last few months. I’m not sure if they were prototypes or production models, but the riders made it look shockingly convenient and easy as they were zipping in and out of crowds of people.
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 4:07 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
It’s the B.C. Wheel!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXKzs51Ids
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 | 5:10 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Sweet Jesus. I think I just saw the thing that will cause my demise. Always thought it would be an out of control Segway…
Posted on Jan 16, 2012 | 3:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
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