The Bombardier EMBRIO Advanced Concept is a one-wheeled recreational and commuting vehicle that promises a whole new experience on the road. Aimed at the 18 to 45 age group, this advanced concept prefigures the kind of user-friendly, minimalist vehicles we might be seeing – and using – on our urban, suburban and country roads in the year 2025.
This project was conceived as an exercise in forward thinking: what will the future of recreational transportation be like? Bombardier Recreational Products designers were asked to come up with a prospective concept for a recreational vehicle that would meet the needs of people in the year 2025.
The Bombardier EMBRIO concept is one of several concepts that were proposed by different internal design teams of Bombardier Recreational Products which had to respect the design philosophy “to create highly innovative, functional and exciting products to exceed people’s recreational needs”, and answer the following challenge: what would be the “next thing” in recreational vehicles?
The resulting concept is a minimalist, pure and simplified design that uses clean lines and on which the human print is obvious, yet fully blended in the overall styling theme. Both beautiful and functional, the Bombardier EMBRIO is exciting to look at, and should be even more exciting to ride.
The EMBRIO concept is a recreational and commuting vehicle that uses gyroscopic and electronic technology. It is a means of transportation, as well as a way of enjoying transportation as a positive activity. The main power source is a hydrogen fuel cell. In stand-by configuration, the vehicle’s front wheels deploy to the ground like a jet plane landing gear to increase longitudinal stability. Thus stabilized, the Bombardier EMBRIO looks perfectly at home in the urban landscape, displaying the beauty of its sculptural lines until it’s time to go for a ride.
Riding the Bombardier EMBRIO concept in the real world would be a thrill. With a riding position similar to a motorcycle, the EMBRIO uses a complex series of sensors and gyroscopes to balance one or more human passengers on a single wheel. Technology will be used to harness the laws of physics, with the gyroscopes and sensors, a high-performance braking system, active suspension, night vision and robotic assistance. A digitally encoded learning key will start the engine. To move forward, the rider activates a trigger on the left handlebar. The landing gear retracts when the speed reaches 20 km/h. To turn, the rider leans in the desired direction. The brake is activated by a trigger on the right handlebar. When the speed drops to 20 km/h again, the landing gear redeploys automatically. Even without the landing gear, the EMBRIO would be stable when motionless because of the gyroscope.
