For a little while. Over the course of the first semester I was involved in the construction of a prototype folding motor scooter. My contribution ended up being part of the control system for a demonstration stand featuring the primary innovative technology, an in-wheel motor-suspension robot doohickey. The majority of the machine was built in Taiwan, and was shipped from there to the Milan Motorcycle Show in Italy. Only now has it returned to the Media Lab.
 The initial decrate-ifying, which was mostly just ripping off one side of the crate using whatever brute force was available. Normally the panel woudl come off in one piece, but the wood was so thin that it just disintegrated.
Ooh, shiny. There it is.
 As with any proper photography of machinery, there must be women. Conveniently, some from the scooter group were present.
Size comparison to another motor scooter that was conveniently parked outside. It has the same wheelbase, but appears smaller… mostly because it’s SOLID FREAKIN’ METAL. Instead of that cheesy bubble-shaped sheet metal cover over some tubing. Despite the heavy metal, the whole machine only weighs in at about 120 pounds.
So what’s going to happen to it while it’s in the lab? Control system development. Wheel robot development. Battery experiments. Random upgrades. Hoonage. Stunt jumping, etc…Â And I will of course stay with Smart Cities for this semester. Whee!