Carve Up the Sidewalk with Onewheel

If you’ve been hankering for a self-balancing single-wheeled electric skateboard, then Onewheel is for you.

It looks like a whole lot of fun, and makers FutureMotion promise the Onewheel will give you the sensation of carving powder or surfing breakers without leaving the concrete jungle. The product certainly charmed the Kickstarter community as $630,832 was raised to bring the board into production.

© Onewheel

The board is balanced using inertial sensors, which lets you concentrate on riding. Lean forward to accelerate and back to brake, leaning on the edges of the board to turn. Fans of skateboarding or surfing will already be familiar with the necessary movements, while beginners can adjust the sensitivity of the board using the accompanying iOs and Android apps.

© Onewheel

Onewheel promises to be sturdy, with only one moving part, and the large wheel can handle off-road terrain with ease. You won’t be able to ride the Onewheel all day long on one charge, as the range is four to six miles, but a quick-charging kit will get the battery back to full charge within 20 minutes.

© Onewheel

As it stands, Onewheel is not going to replace other forms of urban transport for anything other than shorter commutes, but it definitely looks like a fun toy. At $1,499, it seems unlikely the streets will be flooded with Onewheel riders any time soon, but there would perhaps be a market for rentals.