This Is How You Ride In Style In 2016

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The year 2016 has kicked off with a bang. Only a week in, and we’ve already seen a great number of tech announcements, some of which could revolutionise our lives, making them both safer and more fun.

2015 was the year of the self-driving car, with work by Google, Tesla, and many, many others grabbing near daily headlines. Autonomous vehicles are still some way off, but until they get here, some of us would still like to avoid having to drive to work.

Whatever your preferred mode of transport, 2016 has some surprises for you.

Tech giant Garmin has introduced its Varia Vision augmented reality display you can mount on your sunglasses that can alert you about traffic, directions, and other useful tidbits while riding your bicycle. Unlike handlebar mounted displays, the Varia Vision will display information directly in your line of sight, including turn by turn directions, notifications from your smartphone, a rear view radar, and more. The device will come out in the spring of 2016 and will set you back $400 a pop.

If biking is not your thing, Segway has come out with a new transportation device that when you’re done riding it will transform into your robotic buddy. The Ninebot Segway works like a handleless Segway, reaching speeds of up to 18kph for up to 30kms, until you reach your destination. The Ninebot then transforms into a self-balancing robot, with screen for a head, and it even has arms.

For some classier fare, look no further than Chinese manufacturer Ehang. They’ve just announced the “184” Personal Flying Vehicle. It’s the size of a tiny car, and can apparently transport by air a single human (or equivalent) anywhere in a 16km or 23-minutes flight time radius. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a luxury car, but there’s air conditioning, a 4G data link, enough storage for a backpack, and a reading light. The 184 will be priced in the $200,000 to $300,000 range. So if you tire of sitting in traffic in your Rolls, at least now you have an alternative.