Climate change has forced us to think carefully about how we travel, and for many, alternative forms of transport like scooters can be a great solution, particularly in busy cities like London and New York. However, scooters are not without their downsides, and when they're not in use, they can be bulky, heavy, and another thing to forget after you've had one too many at the bar (we've all been there). But one Japanese university has come up with an innovative solution in the form of an inflatable scooter that fits in your pack back. Watch the inflatable scooter in action below:  [[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/TboQTE8N-Q0L14jDU.mp4||TboQTE8N]] Perfect if you want to skip the traffic, but don't want to be inconvenienced by a larger scooter going about your business. The inflatable scooter was manufactured by researchers at the University of Tokyo. It is both electric and inflatable, solving the problem of having to fold and carry your scooter. The scooter, which has been nicknamed Poimo, weighs 12 pounds. It takes around a minute to inflate, and needless to say, it has been designed with short trips in mind only. Poimo can be inflated by using a pump that has the ability to reach a pressure of between six and seven pounds per square inch - half the size of an average football. After inflating Poimo, all you have to do is attach its rubber wheels, a small electric motor, and a wireless controller, which can be clipped onto the handlebars. <img class="wp-image-12596576" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/05/d040d9d0-screen-shot-2020-05-14-at-17.03.32.png" alt="A woman riding an inflatable scooter." width="760" height="525" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: University of Tokyo]] The inflatable scooter was presented by researchers at the University of Tokyo at the 2020 HRI Conference. It's an annual conference that looks at new research into human-robot interactions. Unfortunately, Poimo is currently still a prototype and not on general sale yet, but it's safe to say that it's a fantastic concept and hopefully will be a reality for everyone in the not too distant future! Its creators want to streamline the product and make it even more portable before then.

Researchers create inflatable e-scooter that fits inside a backpack

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