Kawasaki has announced the new four-legged off-road personal mobility vehicle, CORLEO! It will be unveiled at the Osaka Kansai Expo (EXPO2025) to be held on April 13, 2025.
A new generation of mobility that truly embodies "oneness between man and horse"
Kawasaki announces four-legged mobility vehicle "CORLEO"
Its appearance is just like an animal. It has a unique form that is neither a horse nor a dog.
Various new vehicles have appeared at the motorcycle show, and I think the public's motorcycle fever is still not over. In the midst of all this, Kawasaki has proposed a shocking "vehicle".
Last month, Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced that it would exhibit a "new category of personal mobility" for EXPO2025 and released a teaser movie. It suggests that it can be "ridden" and that it is "not just a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle," and at that time it was still imagined as a successor to the three-wheeled variable position bike "J" announced in 2013, or a four-wheeled sports vehicle. I can't hide my surprise that it was completely off the mark and turned out to be a four-legged mobility vehicle.
This four-legged mobility vehicle, named "Corleo," is a model that could only be proposed by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group, which has both robotics and motorcycle businesses. It is a new type of off-road personal mobility vehicle that has the running ability, stability, and fun to operate thanks to its four legs, and has a swing arm mechanism similar to that of a two-wheeled vehicle. The hind legs move up and down independently of the front legs, absorbing shocks when moving.
The four legs are equipped with two separate hooves made of rubber, which absorbs unevenness in the road surface and is non-slip. They can handle any terrain, including grasslands, rocky areas, and rubble.
The rear legs swing vertically separately from the front legs to absorb shocks when walking or running. In addition, when climbing a step, the rider does not have to look up, and can maintain a posture that makes it easier to check the terrain ahead.
The rider operates the machine by shifting the center of gravity, which is detected by the footrests and handlebars. The length of the stirrups can be changed to achieve the optimal posture for the rider.
The unique feature of this method of operation is that the rider determines the direction of travel by shifting their center of gravity. Combined with this riding posture, it feels just like riding a horse. The machine itself also provides support, so even beginners can safely and securely ride on terrains such as mountains and water areas that would be difficult for an experienced rider to ride on tires. From what I've heard, it sounds like a dream-like mobility that can easily move forward on any rough road.
In the video, you can see him running gracefully across the snowy fields.
Gaining momentum in front of the cliff...
What a big jump!
Even on rocky areas with poor footing...
It seems that the rider can jump freely at will.
Climbing steep rocky areas like a goat
It seats two and seems like water is no problem.
Furthermore, the plan is to use hydrogen as fuel rather than electricity or gasoline. The hydrogen will be stored in a hydrogen canister inserted into the rear landing gear, and a hydrogen engine mounted on the front landing gear will generate electricity.
It is equipped with a 150cc hydrogen engine for generating electricity. Hydrogen is supplied from a canister mounted at the rear. The electricity generated is used to drive the power unit mounted on each of the four legs.
It is equipped with an instrument panel that displays the remaining hydrogen, the route to the summit, the center of gravity, etc. At night, markers showing the path are projected onto the road surface to support the rider's optimal riding.
However, this Corleo is merely a concept model for "2050". Even if development progresses, it seems that it will be a long time before it is actually introduced. However, I think I understand why Kawasaki emphasized the word "movement instinct" when exhibiting at EXPO2025. If this "Corleo" becomes widespread, it is not difficult to imagine that the act of "movement" itself will be revolutionized.
It will be exhibited at the "Future City" pavilion at EXPO2025. It will be a chance to see the mobility of the future. At present, it is just a CG image, but the video is also available on YouTube, so riders who are interested should check it out.
