Japan’s obesity rates to rise thanks to new portable “WalkCar” anti-walking device 【Video】

A Japanese engineer has unveiled a tiny, portable skateboard-type device which makes walking to just about any destination essentially unnecessary. At about the size of a bulky laptop, the “WalkCar” is slim and portable. It’s also powered by lithium batteries and likely the harbinger of the human race’s inevitable de-evolution into a legless, slug-like race of lard creatures…

The WalkCar is the brainchild of engineer Kuniaki Saito and his team at Cocoa Motors. The device will presumably fit with ease into any backpack, suitcase or messenger bag designed to carry a large laptop, meaning any time you don’t feel like walking – which, let’s face it, is always – you’ll soon be able to pull your trusty WalkCar out of your bag and lazily putter from your home to the convenience store and back to gorge yourself on the bag of snacks you just purchased without producing a drop of sweat.

Saito says the WalkCar will reach a maximum speed of around 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 miles per hour), which isn’t exactly Fast and Furious speeds, but it’s a perfect pace for stepping on and off the WalkCar without busting a shin or something, since the vehicle actually starts and stops automatically when it senses weight (or the lack thereof). Turning and accelerating is also fairly intuitive, with the WalkCar responding to the user shifting his/her weight left, right, back and forward – similar to the previous ultimate lazy luxury device, the Segway.

Obviously, the WalkCar won’t be able to negotiate stairs or other large obstacles, but a promotional video shows the skateboard-like vehicle crossing over large cracks and bumps in the sidewalk with ease. The video also shows off the WalkCar pulling some pretty cool and, admittedly, technically impressive “stunts,” like figure eights, aiding a man in pushing a heavy stack of boxes uphill, and navigating a tight slalom course of mini traffic cones (sold separately).

However, we couldn’t help but notice the model in the video also appeared to be experiencing some kind of deep existential crisis the whole time, looking slightly bored and depressed as he no doubt contemplates the futility of life and, like, what does walking or even riding a WalkCar even accomplish anyway except to take us from point A to some point in the future in which we are closer to death, the infinite darkness of the abyss, and/or becoming a gross slug creature?

The WalkCar! Order one today!

Source: The Bridge
Screenshots: Cocoa Motors via YouTube

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