Using the rhythmic compression of a tire rolling over the ground, this new product from PumpTire provides a tube that can be swapped into any tire and keep itself inflated, providing efficiency, flexibility and reliability (since pressure can be a factor in busting tubes).

A mechanism regulating tube pressure sense the need and turns on or off as required, keeping your tube at optimal levels while you ride, which means: nothing for you to worry about before or getting onto the road. Expert users can even set their own custom target pressures as desired.

The original version of the PumpTire was an integrated system, meaning: you had to use their entire tires to make it work, and when they wore down, the whole combination had to be replaced. This new version will work with different types of tires, meaning you only have to replace the tube. And, of course, it means you don’t have to buy a separate pump to inflate your tires.

From the makers: “What could be better than maintenance free bicycle tires? PumpTire inner tubes and tires do the pumping so you don’t have to. No dirty hands, no looking for a bicycle pump. PumpTire inner tubes and tires are compatible with existing tires and rims. No modifcations are necessary to add PumpTire inner tubes and tires to your current bike. PumpTire inner tubes are designed to exceed the puncture resistance of standard inner tubes and tires. Our design includes a proprietary design which resists puncture and wear more than standard inner tubes and tires.”

The post Self-Inflating Bike Tire Tube Pumps Itself Up as You Ride first appeared on Gajitz.

A personal pneumatic watercraft for mobile flotation, this lightweight device employees human-powered propulsion and recycled plastic bottles to keep it lean, versatile and free of outside energy requirements.

Designed for anything from a bit of seafaring fun to emergency flood situations, the compact little scooter-like system lets you sit or propel yourself forward by pumping the handles.

Attaching plastic bottles to sockets on the side lets you adjust the degree of floating to suit different weights or purposes, again without needing to make these additions permanent.

While the concept is quite cool, there could be some design and engineering issues in its current form – it would be tricky to generate enough thrust, for instance, using the system as currently described.

It is also not entirely clear how many bottle attachments one would need to stay close to or at the surface. Still, a neat idea, if one that needs a bit more work to actually work.

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