Scoot into Augmented Reality with This Console on Wheels

EKRUZER, a Melbourne-based tech firm, unveils its “Console on Wheels,” an augmented reality micromobility platform they claim is the latest innovation in urban transportation.

The EKRUZER #1 is the centerpiece of its development as the first open-platform, gaming-compatible e-scooter. It has a range of 200+ kilometers (124+ miles), an onboard AI assistant to “enhance user interaction and experience,” and the “Kontrollor Bar,” a handlebar/gaming controller.

The company is planning a series of tournaments to showcase its e-scooters. They also hope to build and foster a community around the idea of gamified transportation and transform how users interact with urban environments.

EKRUZER wants to reshape our routine trips into interactive adventures and hopes to encourage new forms of social interaction.

As an avid Dungeons and Dragons player, I’m all for interactive adventures. But, as the mother of two young adults, I’m also very aware of how distracted we are when we drive. A recent study of micromobility electric scooter and bike accidents saw an increase in accidents from the previous year.

Fernandez AN, Li KD, Patel HV, et al. Injuries With Electric vs Conventional Scooters and Bicycles. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2424131. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24131

 

While I expect an increase in accidents as more people adopt micromobility transportation, the thought of further distracting e-drivers with gamified interactive adventures isn’t an attractive one.

Here is EKRUZER’s video on its Kontrollor Bar. Has gamification gone too far? What do you think?

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.