Caltech’s great Rose Bowl hoax
We all know wheels make the world more beautiful. So when we heard that Ford’s micromobility company, Spin, is test piloting a new generation of autonomous e-scooters in Boise, Idaho, we said bring it. When we heard the scooters have three wheels instead of two, we said God Bless America.
Called Spin S-200, the scooters are actually the first three-wheeled electric scooters in the country. They can also be parked themselves with the click of a button, thanks to front and rearview cameras developed by software partner, Tortoise. With the S-200s, a remote operations team can move misplaced scooters using Tortoise’s repositioning software.
The advanced technology helps solve the clutter issue of ill-parked e-scooters scattered all over urban centers. In some cities like San Francisco, for example, scooter operators can be fined for not properly parking their e-scooters.
The scooters also feature advanced suspension, three braking systems, and a third wheel that makes the rider safer and easier. It seems Boise, which is poised to be the next Silicon Valley according to Inc. Magazine, is the perfect spot to test the scooter waters in a less congested, more controlled setting. If all goes well, the S-200s will be rolled out to more and larger cities in North America and Europe. The creators feel it’s a big step forward in the role robotic technology will play in the future of micromobility. Think hailing e-scooters like Ubers.
Talk about street smarts.