Terrifying Cheetah-Inspired ‘Bicycle’

Ever dreamed of running like a cheetah? Well, Pablo Lopez did, and the aspiration resulted in an inspiration to design the Pardo. The Pardo, short for quepardo which means cheetah, is a human powered tricycle which is designed to imitate the movement and feeling of a cheetah.

The pedal system of the Pardo has the rider pump both legs simultaneously. Overall the contracting and expanding motion resembles that of a cheetah. Yet the methods for steering are questionable.

Contrary to some people’s assumptions, this vehicle is not intended as a transport system such as a bicycle, but more as an extreme sport. Pablo Lopez stated: "My main goal is transmitting and creating sensations,”.

This new innovation definitely does intrigue me, since as a kid I did have a fascination for the cheetah, the fastest animal on earth. I definitely want to try out a Pardo, but sadly it is not out on the market yet. I don’t believe that when released, it will invade the transport market; however it might become a popular outdoor activity. The Pardo reminds me a lot of the Wave Board, since both are similar to a popular vehicle and both try to create a sensation of something totally different.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/terrifying-cheetah-inspired-bicycle/