Okay – I know this is going to go nowhere, but I’ve been thinking about this for a couple days, and just want to get it down in case I forget.
What I would like to build:
An electric vehicle that you can “fly” around on.
Obviously, not literally – thus the quotes. But picture this – a very low-to-the-ground aluminum frame with four ~6″ wheels. The rear two are driven by motors from electric drills (or something similar). The driver lies down on the thing face-down – as though you were riding a sportbike, but instead of tucking your legs under you, you extend them straight out back. The driver’s arms sit in “cradles” that are hooked up via linkages to the front wheels. Instead of steering by turning a handle, you steer by leaning – redistributing the weight on your forearms. Braking would be handled by some bicycle disc brakes attached to the front wheels to complement the deceleration from letting off the electric motors.
It seems like it’d be relatively straightforward to prototype – you’d just need a couple high-powered electric drills you can take apart, some of that aluminum strut stuff you can quickly connect in a variety of ways, and some wheels. If that all works, suspension and the like come later. The question is, would it be fun? (I think yes). Would it be practical? Oh, hell no. Would it be usable on the street? Not technically, no, but I’m sure it’d be a blast to ride around the block.