Japanese personal mobility company Shimizu is currently refining a prototype it says will be the world's smallest and lightest - it certainly looks impressively compact.
Called the Arma, this nifty 'last-mile transporter' quickly packs to the length and width of a sheet of printer paper to carry in your bag of choice or work as its own briefcase, complete with built-in handle.
Whilst there always seems to be another "world's lightest, smallest, quickest ..." waiting just around the corner, the Arma promises to be a very convenient urban commuter, especially when it comes to carrying it onto public transportation, up a high-rise office or apartment building, into retail stores, etc.
And it has another handy feature: a battery swappable platform that lets users quickly replace a drained battery with a fresh one.
Shimizu says the process of collapsing the scooter down takes less than 30 seconds and its dimensions become 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 in) - the exact same dimensions as a leaf of A4 paper. The 3.8 inch (96 mm) depth of the packed Arma is, of course, thicker than paper but still makes for a very compact package that can slide into a backpack, laptop bag, briefcase or tote. At an even 10 lb (4.5 kg), it's light enough to avoid becoming cumbersome, even with a spare battery or two thrown in the pack for added range.
Shimizu says the Arma is now available for pre-order for $920.
Here's the promo video...