Posted by Calixte Pictet | 1 comment
The BPG Uno: A One-Wheeled Motorcycle
“Just before his plane dipped into the clouds above Beijing International Airport two years ago, Ben Gulak caught the last clear view of the sun that he would see for two weeks. On the ground, the 17-year-old, who was on a family trip to China, quickly spotted a source for much of the thick haze hanging over the city: smog-spewing motorbikes. Thousands of them, everywhere.” (Popular Science)
So instead of telling people to ride bicycles like any normal kid would do, the young Gulak decided that he would create a green alternative to motorbikes. Now any sane person would think about building an electric version of what already exists; after all, the problem that the young Ben had seen was not linked to the motorbike form-factor, but rather the motor. But Ben Gulak wanted to solve more problem than just pollution in one go.
“I decided that I wanted to create an alternative mode of transportation, something clean and compact.”
Benjamin Gulak goes further than all you motorcyclists that say that cars are too cumbersome. How could anything be more compact than a two wheeler? Well, just as two wheels make or a smaller vehicle than four, one will make it smaller than two. And so he decided to create a one-wheeled motorcycle.
“What began as a High school Science fair project has quickly turned into an international sensation.” says the company website.
Gulak did not invent the concept. Almost a whole century ago, the Italian inventor M. Goventosa de Udine created a strange vehicle: a one-wheel motorcycle that could reach up to 150 km/h (93 Mph). 
The strange vehicle had one single large wheel, larger than both the vehicle and the rider. This idea from the early 1930′s didn’t take on, untill now…
Benjamin’s project started as a simple science fair project. He used an “inherited set of tools from his grandfather,” working first on the iron frame to which he attached a set of wheelchair motors, batteries, and a gyroscope. He tested, and although he didn’t try it at full throttle (safety first kids!) the experiment was successful (albeit rather clunky).
“The now named Uno has accelerated at an incredible rate. After winning second place Grand Award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the Uno was awarded of the Top 10 Inventions of the Year by Popular Science,” going as far as appearing on the cover of the June 2008 issue.
And what happens when you have a cool concept that works that becomes famous? That’s right, money comes! Mr Gulak’s project brought on private investors, and BPG Motors was born.
But how does it work? Obviously, you can’t just remove a wheel from a motorcycle and decide that your new unicycle concept is good for sale. Most people learn how to balance on a bicycle rather fast, but rare are the ones that can ride a unicycle.
The answer if, of course, to cheat. Don’t let it’s name decieve you, the Uno actually has two wheels. How is that different than a traditional motorcycle? The secret is in the wheels positions: instead of positioning the wheels on the same line, the Uno’s wheels are parallel to each other. That, of course, creates as much problems than it solves, mainly the fact that the Uno becomes unstable, or at the very least hard to balance.
While the Uno maintains conventional motorcycle steering (contrarily to the Carver One), it has an automatic gyroscopic control system to remain balanced. It’s more compact than any motorcycle out there, therefore making it much easier to navigate through traffic.
And when you want to go fast? The new Uno transforms into a more traditional motorcycle as one wheel moves backward and another forward to a more regular motorcycle-style position.
True to it’s origins, the Uno features an electric motor so as to be a more ecological vehicle. According to the company, the Uno delivers “an undeniably cool vehicle to a still stylish, but now logically functional eco friendly means of personnel transport.”
I’m convinced. I love the Uno, and if there was only one motorcycle I would ever buy, here it is. Unfortunately it’s not commercially available yet. It seems as though the startup created by Gulak has still a bit more work to do before they leave the “experimental” phase. Of course, Benjamin Poss Gulak is still studying–at the Massachusets Institute of Technology to be more precise–so he has no need to hurry. Except, of course, for our impatience.
If you’re interested, I suggest that you check out the company’s website or Benjamin Poss Gulak’s personal page.
Contact the author via email
One Comments