When I was little and my two sisters were big, I had what remains to this day the best form of transport I have encountered. They would walk along either side of me holding my hands and swing me forward, placing me on my feet and waiting until they had walked past me before swinging me again. "Swing me!" I would demand again and again, and dutiful sisters that they were they would swing me until their arms ached.
One terrible day I was told "You're too big for that now" and swinging was no more until years later I was the one doing the swinging and my son was the one going "Wheeee!!!". Now my son in his turn has had to be told "You're too big for that now", because I am about to dislocate my shoulder, but it got me thinking.
I would like to travel to work every day flanked by a pair of twelve foot high robots who would swing me merrily through central London. They would resemble something like a cross between Gort and Robosapien (love the stormtrooper white) and would probably walk with a gait similar to Asimo (proper walking robots are in development but quite unstable still). Naturally, their eyes would glow red.
Swing me! Swing me!-- wagster, May 22 2006 Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092067/Can you make the robots look like the ones from Laputa? [+] [zen_tom, May 22 2006] I think this is extremely similar... Grown-Up_20Curb_20Jumperby NotTheSharpestSpoon [xandram, May 22 2006] leap tall buildings in a single bound leap_20tall_20build...0a_20single_20bound [hippo, May 24 2006] The Stepford Wives http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327162/Do they Swing? [Dub, May 25 2006] US Swing Patent http://patft1.uspto...68227&RS=PN/6368227(Story goes that a patent attorney wanted to explain to his young daughter what he did for a living... And so asked her for a suggestion for something to publish) [Dub, May 25 2006] Ausie kid's swing-method patent http://www.newscien...rticle.ns?id=dn2178Fearful court battles, tears, nappy rash? [Dub, May 25 2006] Yaaaaaaah!!!!!-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 22 2006 During rush hour everybody's swingbots can line up and we can all brachiate our way to work!-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 22 2006 Why a pair? Why not a million? And those metal Bitches could launch you into the sun.-- sleeka, May 23 2006 + also include a piggy back or sack of potatoes function. Love the idea-- (mans)laughter, May 24 2006 There's quite a famous US patent for using a swing - perhaps [US Pat. 6368227?], but this guy [link] may have prior art-- Dub, May 25 2006 random, halfbakery