Drais’s running machine
device · 1817 · Industrial Revolution
A two-wheeled machine without pedals: the rider pushed off with their feet. The ancestor of the bicycle.
Inventor: Karl Drais.
What it is made of
- Handlebar — has part. A handlebar for steering the front wheel already appeared on Drais’s machine.
- Wheel — has part. Two wheels in line.
Principles and materials it uses
- Wood — is made of. The running machine is wooden.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Bicycle — evolved into. The bicycle evolved from Drais’s running machine: pedals were added, then a chain drive.
- Michaux velocipede — evolved into. Michaux added pedals to the front wheel.
Things built in a similar way
- Kick scooter — works like. A kick scooter and a running machine both move by pushing off the ground with a foot and have no drive.