We love outlandish ideas and companies that take risks — that, after all, is how science and technology progress. But with every success comes a dozen failures and that’s what this list celebrates.
These are some ideas that could have been the next big thing: concepts that got backing but ultimately failed to take flight. Some were unlucky with timing. Some appeared to forget entirely to consider what consumers might actually want. And some, a handful, may yet have their moment of success.
So here’s a love letter to the Betamaxes and robot butlers of this world — not that either of those made the cut. To the technologies that could have made it, were it not for that most fickle of mistresses: us, the buying public.
Monowheel: Why sit on a wheel when you can sit inside one? And then use an engine — similar to a motorbike’s — that can revolve the wheel around you, to carry you along at speeds of up to 61 miles (98 kilometers) per hour, the current world record? One good reason is that steering and braking are a challenge, with riders often using their feet, but ever since the first design in 1869 the idea has consistently caught people’s imagination. Albeit more for fun and exhibitionism than as a viable means of transport.
“Writer Fuel” is a series of cool real-world stories that might inspire your little writer heart. Check out our Writer Fuel page on the LimFic blog for more inspiration.
