Foldable robot scooter is the future of urban driving

The green machine

OK, we were just kidding about smartphones being evil and hatching a plot to take over the world. But the fact that we now have a robot scooter that can be operated via a smartphone has got to tingle a few nerves in your tech-deadened brains! Dubbed the future of urban driving, the scooter-like 3-wheeler is called the Kobot and its manufacturers Kowa-Tmsuk, which has extensive experience in designing robots for disaster rescue operations and medical care, claims that these scooters would replace cars in urban areas in the future. Full of playful spirit, the Kobot aims at offering a super-zippy, super-small commute option to tech savvy young people who are addicted to their smartphones, and would be able to use an app to command their rides.

Foldable robot scooter

Green factor

Toray Industries Japan’s leading synthetic fibre maker supplied the carbon fibre materials used to create the shell of the Kobot which incidentally is the same material used in the 787 Dreamliner aircraft from Boeing to make it lightweight and ultra fuel-efficient. The light-weight carbon fibre makes the shell stronger in comparison to aluminum and other material and also makes the vehicle cheaper to run. With just one seat, the three-wheel scooter takes up a space of around 10 square feet when parked.

The powertrain

Perfect for navigating crowded city streets, without adding to air pollution, the electrically-powered vehicle has a target speed of 30 km/h (roughly 18 miles). Kowa Tmusk has not revealed the specifications of the engine at the moment.

The highs

The electrically-powered vehicle takes up just 1m² spaces in a parking and its single seat can easily be folded up to save space. Without adding to air pollution, the Kobot is perfect for navigating crowded city streets, with its target speed of 30km/h making it a safer option for city commute as well. Though we have seen such a claim with the Segway scooters a few years ago, the Kobot appears to be a lot more feasible as a concept. Ideal for mega cities like Tokyo, New York, and Mumbai where parking space is at a premium, the Kobot's ability to fold its rear wheel and seat into the main body of the vehicle when parked via a smartphone would make the scooter an ideal commute option.

The lows

The single seater also offers better balance to rider with its three-wheeled chassis though we’re not a big fan of its super-inspired front end which appears to be completely unnecessary for a scooter and adds to the weight of the vehicle thus adversely affecting its battery performance. Also, though the extra wide body is perfect for less experiences riders and the elderly, since it helps them balance the scooter more effortlessly, the fact that the scooter can seat just one may deter more prudent buyers.

Cost and availability

The company intends to have a whole fleet of Kobots ready for the market by next autumn which should give them enough time to make adjustments to the vehicle to make them even more efficient. However, they have yet to announce the pricing range of the Kobot Foldable Scooters and whether they will be offered to consumers overseas also remains to be seen.

Word around the web

The president of Tmusk Yoichi Takamoto said:

This is a robot you can ride.

(Kobots) are unique, designed to be super-small, super-zippy and full of playful spirit.

Picture Gallery

Foldable robot scooter

Foldable robot scooter is the future of urban driving