If only I had a machine shopโฆ and a couple of monthsโฆ and some access to fancy overrunning clutch gearwheels and a design shopโฆ andโฆ actually, this design might just need to go commercial, though perhaps with a bit more of a comfortable ride. With the EX tricycle, the driver is forward-facing, belly-down and drives the vehicle by actuating hand and brake triggers, the former of which control the twin 18V drill/drivers that power this beast of a machine (they used Bosch, but the system is fairly universal). With arms spread wide and torso somewhat elevated (OK, contorted) from the frame, the machine can be drivenโฆ at speeds approaching 19 mph. The entire vehicle was built from scratch and modeled on the human body โ a fact that is evident when you see the very spine-like exoskeleton that requires you to use your whole body to steer.
What I liked best was the engineering. Like the design or not, a lot ofย thought went into the EX โ especially with respect to the chain-basedย drive train. The twin drills are connected on opposite sides so thatย they run in the same direction. Itโs kind of low-tech until you look atย the use of overrunning clutch gearwheels which send torque to theย wheels and keep the drills from interfering with each other.
Seriously, itโs cool-looking, but it makes the average crotch-rocket look like a well-padded cruiser. I mean, itโs different โ but would anyone actually want to drive it for more than 10 minutes at a shot (or even last that long?) Maybe thatโs not the point (thatโs code for โYes, Iโd take one if you gave it to me!โ) Brilliant and simpleโฆ just put a seat on it for goodness sake!
