This portable electric vehicle is small enough to be carried in its owners backpack. WalkCar is a four-wheeled aluminium board which carries a passenger, a bit like a Segway or skateboard, but challenges both these devices in terms of size.

Twenty-six-year-old Japanese engineer Kuniako Saito came up with the idea during his studies in electric car motor control systems. In 2013, he launched Cocoa Motors and developed the lithium-powered device into a working prototype.

"I thought, what if we could just carry our transportation in our bags, wouldn't that mean we'd always have our transportation with us to ride on?" Saito told Reuters.

Steering the vehicle

As you step onto the board, it starts automatically and stepping off will stop the motion. By shifting your weight in the direction you want to move, the vehicle will follow suit, a bit like the two-wheeled Segway.

Charging and power

The WalkCar's top speed is 10 kilometres per hour (6,2 miles per hour). Three hours of USB-charging provides enough power to travel distances of up to 12 kilometres (7,4 miles).

The WalkCar is available as an indoor and outdoor version, with its weight varying between two and three kilograms respectively. 

WalkCar is reported to be powerful enough to push a person in a wheelchair up an incline. It is also said to be able to handle loads weighing up to 120 kilograms (265 pounds).

Reserve the WalkCar

Customers will be able to reserve their WalkCar from autumn 2015 on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The device is said to have a price-tag of around 100.000 Japanese Yen (about 700 euros). Shipping is expected to begin by spring 2016.