Called an “e-broom”, Toyota’s latest mobility platform looks like a
futuristic witch’s broom that users can ride to get around. Apparently,
quidditch fans found the concept very intriguing.
Unfortunately, Toyota’s e-broom isn’t yet able to make quidditch
players airborne, like in the popular Harry Potter books, but they are
capable of propelling people on the ground, as long as they are wearing
roller-skates. The e-broom is meant to be ridden like a witch’s broom,
only instead of relying on magic to whisk its users towards the sky, it
relies on an electrical motor and a wheel at the bottom to propel its
rider forward at moderate speed. It’s not as impressive as we’d like it
to be, but at least it’s a step toward a real life quidditch broom.
Apart from some photos and a small demonstration of how it works
during the recent Tokyo Motor Show, we don’t have much information on
the e-broom. We don’t know the capacity of the motor or the battery,
maximum speed or even when or if it’s going to be commercially
available. We do know that it has a transparent cat as decoration as its
tip, but we don’t even know how that came to be.
“Experience first-hand mobility of the future! Modeled after a broom
used by a witch to fly through the air, this mobility platform
integrates people and machines, allowing users to reaffirm the enjoyment
of mobility,” a Toyota press release states.
The announcement of a futuristic-looking witch’s broom got Harry
Potter fans in general, and those of quidditch in particular, very
excited, but unless they plan on integrating roller-skates in their
games they’ll have to wait a while for an improved ride.
