The Segway is fine if you’re a mall cop or something, but what I really want is a UFO that hovers just above ground. That I can stand on and ride. The Air Board is just that thing. A $14,000 personal hovercraft that floats 8″ above the ground and reaches a maximum speed of 15 mph.

It will give you an hour or so on just 1.3 gallons of gas. Not bad. Not bad. But can it abduct smaller lifeforms? Like ants and insects maybe? I sure hope so. This thing steers by using levers and shifting your weight.

There are several high tech personal mobility devices floating around. The Segway may be the most notable of the geeky mobility choices out there. Honda has announced one of the strangest personal mobility devices I have seen called the U3-X.

The small device is very compact and portable, but has only one wheel. It looks like something a space age clown should be riding. The device fits between a riders legs, and looks much like a unicycle. The device can move in all directions, including side-to-side and diagonally.

The Cajun Crawler is a remarkable application of Theo Jansen’s fascinating articulated walking legs. This is really the first-known practical application, designed and built by UL Engineering students. They clam it even has the steering power of a tank if you can believe that.

The crawler moves at about 2 to 3 miles per hour. Which gives you a fair chance to run when you see an army of them with no riders coming at you. It looks awesomely cool and moves amazingly. We’re equal parts in awe and just plain creeped out.