The wheels are sixty-four inches apart at the road surface and onlytwenty-six inches apart at the top of their eight-foot diameter; racingwheelchairs also use heavily cambered wheels.
One of the most interesting differences lies in the greaterstability of the HyperBike. A conventional bicycle has the center ofgravity higher than the spinning axis of the wheels. The HyperBikepositions the rider in such a way as to put the center of gravity belowthe wheel axis.
Apparently, it is the stability and balance of weight relativeto spinning forces that has NASA interested. These factors would makethe Hyperbike a good choice for low gravity environments. TheNASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program has investedsome capital in the development of the next model.
Bicycles in low gravity? I think I've heard that one before - don't all the prospectors on the Moon have one?
Lunocycles figure in Robert Heinlein's 1952 novel The Rolling Stones.
Check out these other futuristic one- and two-wheeled vehicles:
- Eunicycle Single-Wheel Gyro-Stabilized Scooter
Dr. Trevor Blackwell has constructed a self-balancing, powered unicycle... - Hyanide Motorcycle Snowmobile Eyecandy
This great bike is a cross between a snowmobile and a motorcycle... - EMBRIO Embodies The Tumblebug
Super-cool design for this Heinlein favorite...
(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)
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