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From core77:
"Design for APFCT of two proposed Fuel Cell Scooters. APFCT is an American company that develops fuel-cell systems. For this I was project leader, responsible for design, frame engineering, model building and assembly, This was all done in Holland These scooters are designed build from ground-up to two working and usable prototypes."
..and from APFCT's site:
The APFCT 3rd generation scooter ZES III was begun in December 2001 and completed in July 2002. ZES III is a totally new integrated fuel cell/chassis scooter designed from grounds-up. Its modern European styling compliments its advanced fuel cell engine technology. Performance of ZES III was tested at 58 kph speed and 120 km driving range using 4 MH hydrogen storage canisters"
The Mopah: It all looks so simple: and that's the beauty of it...The Mopah was created in response to a visiting professional who scrutinized the amount of "blue sky" design amongst students. As David Sedaris pointed out in "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," the danger in viewing romance movies is that we can all relate to falling in love. The experience is universal and the viewer is lead to a number of unhealthy comparisons, ultimately raising the question "Why can't our lives be like that?" The Mopah is an attempt to design an experience "like that." A reminder that industrial design can be about more than a tangible product, It can be about infusing our lives with something entirely personal: my journey, my music, my moment at the end of the movie when I drive away into the sunset with the perfect song playing in the background. Of course, in order to really prove this point, I needed to create a working prototype. The photos online display the functioning prototype and human reaction.
The typical scooter is designed for efficient transportation. The Mopah is about taking the scenic route. I wanted to alter the interaction of travel, with a soundtrack life isn't so mundane. I chose the Apple Ipod as the soul of Mopah, because of what the device stands for. Apple is turning product interactions upside down, making small improvements on existing devices that create massive change. The Ipod has become a cultural artifact... an expression of personality and ease of use, the flagship for interaction design as product innovator.
An interesting discussion I had with a fellow designer, prior to the Mopah project, was on how to prove that an interaction is a successful one. When building a sketch model or just creating a beautiful rendering the aesthetic feel is conveyed but not the interaction. I believe that until a design is created in vivid detail, the way we think a user will react to its use is purely speculation. The only way to experience Mopah is to hop onboard and take her for a spin. For this reason I decided to make a fully working prototype. My senior thesis was right around the corner so I made plans to go from ideation to final prototype in just 10 weeks (the length of the course). I knew I had to focus on specific parts if I were to get finished so I decided to push the aesthetics off to the side and make the interaction as real as possible.Mopah isn't about creating a beauty queen, it's more of a personal exploration in what it takes to make an idea real. That's not to say that I feel the aesthetics are lacking. I went with a much more personal simplistic style. I was influenced heavily by the furniture designers at my school, I always admired their use of detail as a source of style, the placement of a screw can make all the world's difference. Material selection was very important to me, which is why I went with bamboo and aluminum, two materials that may be considered luxurious in the grand scheme of mass production. The built in speakers and the boxy back pay homage to the beautiful wood speaker boxes of the 90's.
The essence of the scooter is that it's not just a motorized bike with speakers, instead its a mobile boom-box. It's an outlet to freedom beyond mere transportation, a way of unlocking the limitless possibilities we have in life. And in conclusion it's a scooter powered by an Ipod, a detail which enhances the playfulness of the design.
Mopah doesn't like being taken seriously.
Via:
nemomatic via
IO9"Ever since I was a kid I have always loved old scooters. However I have never really wanted the responsibility of maintaining a "vintage" machine. I always thought to myself, "why can't we have the convenience and reliability of modern engineering like a Honda with the class and styling of an old Lambretta?"
Recently it occurred to me that as an adult, I actually have the skills and facilities to address this important issue that has nagged me all these years. This project began with a very tired looking 1980’s Honda Elite 125 scooter and my usual arsenal of aluminum scrap objects. In this case street lamp, and vacuum cleaner parts make up the majority of it.
For those curious about the process, I have posted a step-by-step essay of this piece over at Instructables. You can also dig around the archives in my blog for additional images.
The little cars are supposed to represent my “kills” like an old bomber plane.
Via:
ohgizmo"Even with all the hype and hoopla behind the Segway, it’s yet to really revolutionize the way people get around. And while I’m a big fan of the Segway, I believe something like the RoboScooter from MIT’s Media Lab has a much better chance at replacing the automobile, particular for people who commute or who live in crowded urban settings.
Made from just 150 parts, the RoboScooter should theoretically be easy to mass produce, and the simple design including lack of a complex drivetrain (each wheel has its own electric motor and suspension) would probably make it more reliable and easy to maintain. The RoboScooter would also make the streets considerably less crowded, and would reduce the need for large parking lots or garages since it’s able to fold up when not in use.
It was jointly developed by Sanyang Motors, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute and the Smart Cities group at the MIT Media Lab. And while the final prototype of the RoboScooter was actually shown at the Milan Motor Show in November, there’s been no word on when it might eventually be available to the public."
We found these really rather charming scooter pen and water colour sketches while searching for some new content. Karen Luk drew these near the U.C. Berkeley campus during a local Sketchcrawl on St. Patrick's Day. She is a freelance illustrator and is currently developing web comics for Girlamatic
Little is known in the U.S. about Shonen Jet (The Jet Boy). We know he comes from Japan, and is one of the first original "Tokusatsu" ("live action science fiction" t.v. hero) to be aired. The definitive website for all things heroic in Japan is japanhero. A few images are available from their impressive and rich site- but all are the same as the one above. Tedious Googling has found nothing else-with the exception of a small indie rock band with the same name.
I'm always searching more and more about this brave little hero-its a tiny personal quest of mine. But I do know this: a crimefighting boy, his a loyal German Shepard, a Honda 50 scooter, and with the love of justice on their side....together they could take the world by storm.
Via:
Dark Roasted Blend"After World War II, there was little money for defense spending while the nations of Europe rebuilt their industry and society. When there was some cash to spend, one had to be creative to stretch it as far as possible. The French probably accomplished the most astounding example of that with the ACMA Troupes Aeról Portées Mle. 56. Deployed with their airborne forces, this was essentially a militarized Vespa scooter outfitted with a 75mm recoilless rifle. Five parachutes would carry the two-man gun crew, weapon, ammunition, and two scooters safely to earth, and the men would load the weapon on one scooter and the ammo on the other, then ride away. More impressively, the recoilless rifle could be fired effectively on the move by the best of the gun crews. Total cost? About $500 for the scooter and the recoilless rifle was war surplus. Were they successful military machines? Well, the French Army deployed about 800 armed scooters in wars conducted in both Algeria and Indochina."
From an interview in Motorycle daily with Aprilia's Alberto Cappella:
"In my living room at home I have an Aprilia Lama scooter prototype. It is one of only two in existence. The other Lama is at the Noale factory. It gives me a good memory of times in the past. 15 years ago I was spending 3 months at Philip Stark's house by the sea. We had the job to design 8 different concept models and make mock-ups and clay models. We had absolutely free hands to do scooters, motorcycles or anything. We would have a swim in between, and then come back to work. We also consumed a lot of beer and champagne during the creative process. The clay models were stored in Stark's fishing house and the 6.5 Moto was the result."
