Boffins in Australia have create a bizarre gravity-defying electric wheelbike vehicle which looks like it could have come straight out of Star Wars.
Engineers at the University of Adelaide say their Diwheel device allows a driver - sat between two giant-wheels - to travel either upright or upside down. This is because the inner frame is suspended within the wheels in such a way as to allow the inner frame to rotate freely as the Diwheel speeds along at 25mph.
Drivers use a joystick to control the odd vehicle which is affectionately known as Edward - short for Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping.
Associate Professor Ben Cazzolato said: "We often get asked why build it? Why build a roller coaster? ‘Cause it’s fun!
"Apart from the incredible exhilaration of driving EDWARD, there are some serious pedagogical reasons to build such a device.
"It teaches engineering students about modern system design and control techniques – the very methods they will use when working as graduate engineers."
Boffins in Australia have create a bizarre gravity-defying electric wheelbike vehicle which looks like it could have come straight out of Star Wars.