CES 2015

The IO Hawk is like a mini Segway

This lightweight device resembles a skateboard—but it's really a self-balancing, electric transportation tool

Published: January 06, 2015 07:30 AM

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Motorcycles & Scooters

So we were just walking the halls of the Mandalay Bay Convention center during CES and we stumbled across the IO Hawk, a small, self-powered, skateboardy sort of thing. Novel, electric urban transportation devices are a minitrend at CES this year, but the way the IO Hawk miniaturizes self-balancing technology—first made famous by the Segway—is pretty fascinating. It costs $1,800 at the company's website, has a top speed of 6.2 miles per hour, and can drive 10 to 12 miles on a single charge. (Note: We later saw a nearly identical product, the Hovertrax, whose inventor claims to have originated the idea.)

Is the IO Hawk an expensive toy, or a viable mode of transportation? Honestly it's hard to tell, but the device is surprisingly easy to use—you just rotate your ankles forward, back, or in opposite directions to turn. Within around five minutes, our awkwardness melted away and we were operating the IO Hawk smoothly. For an urban commuter on the way to work, it seems like a lot more fun than the bus.

—Glenn Derene