Naturmobil

• Lamonstrous
  May 4th, 2008 at 8:01 am

  Would I be right in thinking that this vehicle has a horsepower of one?

• Lamonstrous
  May 4th, 2008 at 8:07 am

  Oh yes, I see it there in the first sentence now. How humiliating.

• ted
  May 4th, 2008 at 8:30 am

  Must really smell inside that thing on a hot day.

• Dave
  May 4th, 2008 at 8:55 am

  On the verge of getting the cart before the horse…

• License Farm
  May 4th, 2008 at 9:05 am

  I’m really the first one to note that this is ingenious? Really? We’re that jaded?

• Sue Dunham
  May 4th, 2008 at 9:38 am

  Man, this looks like something from an old “Modern Mechanics”.
  1_ It’s in Dubai, where it’s very hot. Especially in a glass cube with a working horse.
  2_ Yes, there seems to be no “exhaust” system.
  3_ Horses and other animals, including people, do not work without an incentive. Ya got to poke ‘em with a stick, or offer them a big Christmas bonus. If the driver is in front, how do you do that?

• fsmarch
  May 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Pretty cool, except for the advertising part.

• SenorMysterioso
  May 4th, 2008 at 11:23 am

  He could have a more practical cart if he just let the horse pull it. Plus, he could still charge his batteries off the turning wheels. But like he says, its a gimmick designed to draw attention.

• Idil
  May 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm

  poor horse.

• Trekki
  May 4th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

  Reading the entire article might clear up some of those issues, Sue.

  1_ It’s in Dubai, where it’s very hot. Especially in a glass cube with a working horse.

  “When the horse’s body temperature gets too hot for comfort, a sensor attached to its side transmits its temperature reading to a controller which automatically turns off the treadmill and switches the vehicle to run on battery power.”
  “Two sets of sensors are attached to the horse to monitor its heart rate and body temperature.”
  “A bower attached on top of the vehicle is designed to protect the horse from cold and heat and can be opened if the horse needs air.”

  2_ Yes, there seems to be no “exhaust” system.

  “A waste bin is also provided to collect the horse’s discharges.”

  3_ Horses and other animals, including people, do not work without an incentive. Ya got to poke ‘em with a stick, or offer them a big Christmas bonus. If the driver is in front, how do you do that?

  “Another bag is provided for food.”

  Obv this is more of a novelty/conceptual art piece than a practical invention, but the guy seems to have all of his bases covered, and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of customers he pulls in. Dubai is more or less the world capital for frivolous displays of technological might, so this doesn’t surprise me in the least.

• Ashley
  May 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

  Again, from reading the article (instead of just looking at the picture):
  Mirhejazi says the Naturmobil was designed with the safety and welfare of the animal in mind. No whipping is involved.
  To make the horse move, the driver flicks a switch to make the conveyor belt, where the horse is mounted, move.
  Shock absorbers are placed under the conveyor belt to lessen the impact on the horse’s joints.
  The horse is made to wear special soft leather shoes, tied with laces, to make walking as comfortable as possible.

  This sounds like it’s easier on the horse than pulling a traditional buggy.

• Lore
  May 4th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

  This looks like it would be perfect for when I have kids. I’ll just make them run around this for a while.

• Diogenes
  May 5th, 2008 at 5:16 pm

  well that’s just lazy on part of the driver–dont you think?

• ted
  May 5th, 2008 at 11:17 pm

  Don’t care what you say about ventilation - that horse is under glass in the heat of day. And all to operate a two-seater with no place to put anything else. And nary a cupholder in sight!

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