I stepped outof a building in New York City, put on my helmet, and was about to hop onto myscooter. That’s when I caught a passerby staring at the thing I was about to straddle: a funky-looking solar-powered two-wheeler called theLightfoot. We locked eyes, and he asked, “Did you make that?”

Me on the Lightfoot.

Photograph: Courtesy of Otherlab

That's essentially what the Lightfoot feels like—something tinkered into existence in a garage, rather than a factory overseas. It's like a rectangular pod on wheels, with two large solar panels on the side and a bench seat up top that fits a rider and a passenger. It's designed to be ridden in the bike lane—without pedals, it's designated as anelectric scooterrather than an ebike—and has a top speed of 20 miles per hour.