James Bruton is a YouTuber and Maker extraordinaire. He has made an open-source robot dog, a rideable AT-AT, and a life-sized GNK (Gonk) droid. For his latest project, Bruton has created a self-balancing, omnidirectional bicycle using 3D-printed and machined parts, bungee cords, and circus act supplies.
The "wheels" are giant, hollow plastic balls called "walking globes" or "rolling globes," designed to be filled with sand and used by circus performers. The bike is powered by five small, brushless motors: two on each ball at a 120º angle and one on the rear ball for moving forward or backward.
Steering is controlled by the handlebars, but not in the way a standard bike does. The left-hand grip turns the bike left or right, while the right-hand grip controls forward and backward movement. A mounted panel has engine start and emergency stop buttons and yaw and gain controls. It's unclear how practical this design is, as the wheels pop off at high velocity. Of course, practicality isn't the point anyway, but the bike has a headlamp, a horn, and side-view mirrors for safety.
Previously: A shockingly terrible crowdfunded e-bike