Not once, not twice, but eight different times has Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazine declared that the future of travel is the monowheel. Wesley Treat collected the covers of these issues for a retrospective spanning from 1914 to 2007. The “One-Man War Tank” shown is from 1933. Most impressive is that you could buy a magazine for fifteen cents! Link -Thanks, beth!
Dale
Looks like Mr. Garrison’s It mobile. Except designed a little different.
emmakate
Omg Dale, I was just thinking it looked like the gyroscope thing from South Park!!
Gauldar
Has Popular Mechanics even stated why they thing the monowheel would be more efficient than any other format other then aesthetic appeal?
asdfafdgafsdg
The vehicle in the picture has 3 wheels, therefore it’s a tricycle.
Wesley
asdfafdgafsdg: The two rear wheels on that particular model were for stabilization at low speeds. Once the driver reached a higher speed, they would be raised, and the vehicle would travel on a single wheel. (Actually, I think I’ll add that to the article.)
Incidentally, the one pictured is not actually the one-man war tank. Oddly, the picture on the cover didn’t reflect what the article itself was about.
Oh, and thanks for posting my about my article! 
Wesley
There I go again fact-checking after I click “Submit.” The two rear wheels, it seems, actually aided in steering, so it would be fair to say it’s a tricycle. It still fits into the whole silly giant-wheel concept, anyhow.
Gerry
“Most impressive is that you could buy a magazine for fifteen cents!”
15cents was three loafs of bread back then. That would be somewhere around $5-$6 now.
…helps to keep things in perspective.
renderanything
Interesting to see just how many times the same theme has come up throughout the ages of Pop-Sci. There is an even more impressive real world uni-wheeler that I’ll have to find and suggest.
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