Over 25 years after the original Frog FZ750 (or Rana) motorcycle concept was created by Apple designer Hartmut Esslinger, Frog is creating an updated version that’s meant to run on battery power. The Rana 2 design includes three battery cores that would be easily replaceable on long rides; according to Frog, they could run on experimental “nanoparticle crystalline copper hexacyanoferrate battery technology.”
Frog Rana 2 electric motorcycle concept includes augmented reality and swappable batteries
Frog Design, best known for working with Apple, has created an updated concept for its Rana motorcycle. The electric bike design would include swappable batteries and augmented reality features powered by a docked smartphone.
Frog Design, best known for working with Apple, has created an updated concept for its Rana motorcycle. The electric bike design would include swappable batteries and augmented reality features powered by a docked smartphone.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
In many ways, the retro-inspired Rana 2 is similar to the Monocasco Concept Bike we’ve covered previously: it’s another beautiful electric bike that’s not intended for mass production (or production at all), a kind of design fiction. The Rana 2, however, is a bit more forward-looking. It’s supposed to include a smartphone dock that would let phones provide the “brains” for augmented reality widgets like those on MOD Live goggles. Lights on the back would even project lane guides on the road, telling other drivers how close to get to the motorcycle. Some early concepts and examples of the UI can be seen below.
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