Our Prototypes column introduces new vehicle concepts and presents visuals from designers who illustrate the ideas. Some of them will be extensions of existing concepts, others will be new, some will be production ready, and others really far-fetched.
The concept
The Shenza is an ice-carving go kart equipped with a chain propulsion system that’s designed to ride on frozen lakes in the winter, and it could be converted to wheeled skates to ride on asphalt during the summer.
The background
A friend recently sent me a YouTube video showing an ice skater using a chainsaw to pull himself across a lake. Of course this is pretty dangerous —imagine falling face first. But I quickly imagined a Go-Kart variation on this idea.
How it works
The Shenza could be driven by two chainsaws like the ones built by Husqvarna. The vehicle could also use a Rotax max 125 DDE Evo Go-Kart motor located in the middle of the vehicle to drive both chains.
The Shenza would have two skate blades under the centerline, which would support the weight of the passenger. The pilot could change the angle and speed of the rotating chains so the Shenza could thus lean while taking a curve, which would help steer the vehicle. The blades could also be made to pivot, although this feature might not be necessary.
The Shenza should be designed to adequately protect the pilot when the vehicle is operating. A maximum tilting angle could be set, and windshields could be added in the front along with guards for the spinning chains.
Potential markets
To run the Shenza, you would need a frozen lake with a somewhat smooth surface . It’s probably safe to say that there aren’t many days with those perfect conditions, however it would be fun to try to build something like this to test it and see how it handles and how it could be improved.
A summer version could feature driven inline skate wheels and a different type of carving system to ride on concrete or asphalt.
The designer
I would like to thank Adolfo Esquivel who created the graphic renderings of the Shenza. Esquivel graduated with an Industrial Design degree from Colombia and completed his postgraduate education in Events Design at UQAM (Montreal). He also created the images of the Libelule ATV/SUB and the Motowalk people mover.
