Swincar Inventor: Pascal Rambaud

Swincar Inventor: Pascal Rambaud

by | Sep 17, 2018 | Blog, Swincar, Swincar Blog

Pascal Rambaud: Swincar inventor and company CEO.

Originally trained as an architect, he put his work as a mountaineering safety expert on standby, in order to devote himself full-time to developing his inventions and combine his passions of mountaineering and motorsports .

After having filed numerous patents about the prevention of natural risks in the mountains, his first invention in the mobility field was the Driv’up trolley, that sold over 10,000 units around the world. “I was doing kart racing. And in competition, it’s very important to get the fine-tuning right. But you can’t do this on the ground and it needs two to lift a kart.” said Rambaud. In 1993 Rambaud solved this problem and marketed Driv’up, a one-man operated hoist, which became a commercial success.

But the real revolution is the SWINCAR e-Spider. He has been working on the pendulum design that is the core of this vehicle since 2005. His stroke of genius was to design the SWINCAR e-Spider around the concept of a pendulum. “I had the idea while working out how to reconcile the relative advantages of two or four wheels” explains Rambaud. The vehicle has a natural balance and low center of gravity, and while cornering or climbing obstacles the driver’s pod (or nacelle) remains horizontal, delivering a safe and comfortable ride.

The e-Spider’s silent operation, light footprint, and its remarkable versatility are ideal for off-road driving, even for traversing slopes and on steep inclines. The four articulated legs operate with a wide range of movement, and independently absorb the contours and shocks encountered when crossing difficult country. Its batteries have a 4-hour driving range, and the motorized brake recharges the battery during downhill driving, further increasing the battery’s range. Other products now in development are a tandem two-seater model and a remotely operated version. Their factory is in Allan, in the south of France, near Lyon.

Adventure Sports Innovationis proud to be the first company in North America offering rental equipment, tours and sales of the awesome Swincar e-Spider and it’s innovative patented pendulum design.  

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SwincarUSA is a network of dealers, eco-tour operators, service centers, and independent sales agents created by Adventure Sports Innovation, the first U.S. Swincar fleet operator since 2018, and now the exclusive Swincar distributor in North America, enabling purchasing of  Swincars in the USA and Canada.

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) brings to market the latest inventions and innovations for outdoor experiences, sourced from inventors and manufacturers around the world to Chattanooga, TN. ASI is proud to be the North America distributor for the Swincar, offering tours, Swincar sales for individuals and fleet owners, parts and service, and even Dealer startups within North America.

Tel:   (423) 225-4300  & Address: 191 River Street, Chattanooga, TN 37405

Website:  SwincarUSA.com    Mail:   [email protected]

 

About Adventure Sports Innovation

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) is proud to be the distributor for the Swincar throughout North America and are working to expand Swincar’s presence throughout the USA and Canada.

ASI offers a variety of Tours and test drive rides for all abilities.   ASI’s primary riding destination is at Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, close to downtown Chattanooga, with over 300 acres of forest and trails climbing the side of the iconic Lookout Mountain.  Other off-road venues are available for private tours.  ASI has Swincars equipped for drivers with adaptive needs, and can organize group events featuring the Swincar, or even arrange for private tours on your own property.

ASI is a full-service dealer, distributor, and authorized service center for Swincar in the USA.

  • For individuals looking to purchase a Swincar in the USA, vehicles can be picked up at our Chattanooga, TN facility, or we can provide delivery service of a crated Swincar to your location, along with remote training on safe operations and vehicle care and maintenance.
  • Fleets: ASI is excited to help create fleets of Swincar touring vehicles around the country. We can sell Swincar fleets, and  support fleet operators anywhere in the USA, and will provide specialized training to fleet owners.  Turnkey support programs are available to help entrepreneurs launch new eco-touring operations!
  • ASI generally keeps several new vehicles in stock in our Tennessee warehouse for quick fulfillment of customer orders, or can custom order vehicles from Swincar France as needed, generally with 4 to 8 week production time, plus shipping and transit time. ASI will arrange all shipping and import details and can arrange delivery to a customer’s location.
  • For options, pricing, availability shipping or other details, please contact us at [email protected], or check our website at com
  • For individuals looking to purchase a Swincar in Canada, we have created our first dealer in the country, located in Calgary, Alberta. Their primary territory is western Canada, but they are willing to consider helping to import vehicles for customers around the country. Feel free to consult directly with ElecDrive.  Phone is 587-434-6701, and their website is Elecdrive.CA

We’re Live

by | Jul 27, 2018 | Blog

We’re Live!

Hey there, it’s Patrick, CEO, and Co-Founder of Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI)!  What an incredible journey since we’ve opened our doors here in Northshore Chattanooga!  I can’t believe how much fun we’ve had, talking to people walking in the door, who are looking around and wondering “What is this place, what do you do here?”

After hearing and seeing what ASI brings to the community, the reactions have been fantastic.  When customers learn we’re the only business in the country that offers these types of high-tech adventures in this format, and that we are the first business in the Americas to offer Swincars, well, the guests have been even more excited to be part of this innovative experience. We’re so happy to provide our community with a whole new selection of fun outdoor activities in Chattanooga!

Our first customers have been people seeking different levels of adventure.  We’ve had many guests try our Virtual Reality simulators to get a taste of what we offer, and some of our more adventurous guests have taken lessons on personal transportation devices like electric unicycles and e-scooterboards.  Most of these guests learned quickly and got certified by our staff to check out the gear for rentals. The Kymera jet bodyboard on the Tennessee River has been our most popular water attraction, with guests from ages 12 to over 60 getting out on the water!   And finally, since we’ve opened our Swincar tours on July 19th, we’ve had several amazed and delighted participants who are giving us great reviews (click here to view Get Out Magazine review on Facebook).

Some of our guests have already said they are going to be regular customers, and have asked about a possible membership program!  We’re already working out the details on how our memberships will work, and we’ll let everyone know once it’s available.

People are stopping in front of the store to see the innovative gear featured outside, and get interested and excited- but then when they come inside, they see all we have to offer and their reactions have been “Wait, there’s more?”. Those are the initial reactions I love!  And then “Can I really try this in Chattanooga?” or, “Is this really as fun as it looks?”.

And, what I like even more are our guests’ smiles and comments after their experience! It’s so rewarding to hear statements like “Awesome”, “Amazing” or, my personal favorite, “Radtastic”, coined by one of our brand ambassadors after his first Swincar ride (click here to view guest review on Facebook) .

ASI’s mission is to enable people to experience new  gear for outdoor play in a fun and safe environment. From beginner to mastery trainings, to building of communities of early adopters, to the creation of future sports and competitions, we hope that you can become part of this new way of introducing cool new products to the market.  

Now that we’re live, we hope to see you soon, so you can see for yourself how ASI showcases innovative gear for water, land and virtual reality…we’re hoping you’ll leave with a big smile on your face too!

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.

There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

Happy Virtual Reality Days Have Arrived

by | Jul 18, 2018 | Blog

Virtual Outdoor Adventures have arrived in Chattanooga!

For those following the storyline of launching Adventure Sports Innovation, it would be a shame to not share the remainder of the international shipping “experience” with you. It really came down to the wire and we had to adjust our Grand Opening date due to the latest issues….

Our shipment of VR simulators from SmaaashLabs based in Mumbai, India was supposed to arrive in Chattanooga mid-June. Unfortunately, a three day manufacturing delay caused us to miss loading the containers on our first scheduled U.S. bound boat. After the shipping agent reorganized logistics with the manufacturer, they then advised us that the streets by the factory were too narrow for the truck to come in and load the 40 foot container. Well…ok.
Again, the shipping agent made new plans for two 20-foot containers to be packed, and transferred into the 40 foot container. Naturally, this took extra time, and our items missed the next boat. After all was said and done, our VR equipment was 3-weeks late leaving India.

FINALLY… the container left Mumbai; set to arrive Savannah, Georgia on June 27. This time, when the agent called, it was to let us know the boat ported in Charleston, South Carolina instead. With paperwork for customs in Savannah, and our trucks waiting, the agents tried to reorganize and remove our container in Charleston to truck it to Chattanooga. We had our staff and the forklift ready for delivery the next morning when… you’ve got it, Murphy’s Law decided to go into overdrive… the ship wasn’t in Charleston- it was in Newark, New Jersey!
Ultimately, the ship left Newark and finally arrived in Savannah, GA, where our VR equipment was then trucked to Chattanooga- scheduled to arrive at 6am on July 4. We were ready to accept the container and begin unloading, but fate intervened again, and the shipment did not arrive until July 5th, a few hours after our Ribbon Cutting with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. (Anecdotally, exactly 365 days earlier, on July 5th 2017, our moving truck arrived in Chattanooga! Will there be another milestone next July 5th?)

The Smaaash Labs installers from India arrived to Chattanooga on July 5, working feverishly to ensure our experiences were installed and ready to go with plenty of time before our revised Grand Opening date of July 14
Wow, this has been an experience for sure. But we can tell you that the FingerCoaster, Vertigo and FlyMaxx experiences are quite AWESOME, as family members and staff has been “testing” everything for us—over and over again. Our storefront in coolidge Park is now like a Virtual Reality arcade, but only featuring experiences that simulate outdoor adventures!

Now almost all of our innovative adventure gear has arrived – we’re only pending receipt of our our e-surfboards from Radinn in Sweden. These should be in by the end of July – we can’t wait to introduce you all to these exciting Virtual Outdoor Adventures in Chattanooga!

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.

There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

Searching for High Tech Gear

by | Jun 1, 2018 | Blog

How would you start searching for cool new high tech gear to bring to an outdoor adventure center in the U.S.? Google, of course.

While researching, Patrick and Carolina came across this video by Reuters about a French award-winning electric car that mimics a spider’s movements! Good thing Patrick’s passport was up to date…

In early February 2018, Patrick went on a whirlwind four-day adventure to the South of France -Carolina, would have loved to go with, but the transatlantic flight cost could not be justified. Patrick met with the inventor/manufacturer, and tested the Swincar E-Spider. He saw and experienced it in action. Swincar delivers a complete hydraulically-actuated four-wheel steering. Each wheel of the Swincar has its own electric motor at the end of each suspended arm, meaning that it is true four wheel drive, and each wheel can tilt and extend independently with the driver’s seat in between, allowing the driver to stay upright due to gravity, which like taxes, is a sure thing!

You don’t want to miss this experience! ASI is proud to announce that they have eight Swincars traveling from France to Chattanooga, and ASI is the first importer of the Swincar in the U.S.A. ASI is excited to bring this amazing technology to the Gig City. We expect these Swincar tours to be a popular group activity in Chattanooga, as well as individual rentals, sales and tours!

Having fun with international delivery…

Because the Swincar uses lithium ion batteries, they can ship either by cargo plane, or boat. Shipping these eight Swincars by cargo plane was super expensive, so shipping by sea was the solution. Coordinating door to door logistics has been a learning journey, to say the least.

Originally, the shipment of Swincars was scheduled to leave France on April 27 and arrive in Chattanooga on May 18; however there was a delay manufacturing the cars, as parts were on backorder due to increased demand in Europe. They missed the boat by a week.

Of course, there was a boat the following week, and ASI worked with the logistics transportation company to get the shipment picked up and delivered to the boat. Unfortunately, there was a truckers’ strike in France, which impacted the transport of the Swincars to the boat! The logistics company was finally able to secure a German trucking company to pick up and transport the cars to the boat, but we were now dealing with a week where France had two holidays and thus, more delays!

Well, as of right now, the Swincars left the Port of Le Havre on May 21 (yay!) and barring any delays in customs, the cars should unload in Chattanooga on June 8, allowing us plenty of time to get ready for our grand opening in late June/early July. They have been dubbed by many in Europe as super cool new high tech gear

Are you ready to enjoy driving this electric off-road vehicle with one of our tour guides? We offer off-road driving experiences – the adrenaline level is up to you or your group!

Adventure Sports Innovation Swincar in action

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.

There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

How it All Began..

by | Mar 28, 2018 | Blog

Since 2014, Patrick and Carolina Molloy desired a new path, a career change – to use their talents in the entrepreneurial world and develop a unique business model. In April of 2017, they decided to take the leap, leaving behind their corporate jobs in New York City and move their family to Chattanooga, TN.

They had a vision to create something new, something the outdoor sporting world had not seen in the United States to date. Since the Scenic City has been dubbed “a Playground for Pioneers” by its Gig City group, and has twice been voted as “Best Town Ever”, by Outside magazine, the Molloy’s knew this was the place to launch their dreams.

Since arriving in Chattanooga in July 2017, the Molloys have been pounding the pavement documenting all the fun things to do in Chattanooga (having a lot of fun during this research project!). They noticed a lack of innovative sports and gear available locally, and Patrick was planning long distance trips to go try new activities like “zorbing” and “flyboarding”, and the initial concept for ASI started to materialize.

In November of 2017, the Molloys began researching various products and bought their first self-balancing boards, known commonly as “hoverboards”. (Patrick’s initial feedback: These are a blast to ride, and were pretty easy to learn – but how can we change this name? These boards all have 2 wheels, and they don’t hover at all!) December was a pivotal month for ASI as it was spent meeting local officials, industry experts and start-up business mentors, to validate their concept and build a solid business plan. They began meeting with Chattanooga SCORE and Tennessee Small Business Development Center mentors, presented to the Co.Lab team and registered for the Co.Starters program starting in January 2018. Also, they incorporated Adventure Sports Innovation, LLC. (ASI).

We’re so excited that our unique business model brings more outdoor activities and adventures to Chattanooga!

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Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.

There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

The Search for Gear

by | Mar 28, 2018 | Blog

From Orlando to San Francisco and France, Patrick and Carolina have visited manufacturers and inventors, researching outdoors high tech gear that they want to bring to the Scenic City.  

The highlight in November 2017 was the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo in Orlando – where over 39,000 attendees were able to meet with the developers of the newest and most cutting edge attractions throughout the amusement and entertainment industry. This has sparked many discussions and explorations of possible products, as well as fueled the larger vision for future growth and expansion of the ASI concept.

Meeting with individual inventors and manufacturers was next, along with sampling their products to make sure that they were fun, safe and sustainable – meaning that they were really available, not just prototypes presented in online videos. Commitment levels were high, but tight travel schedules sometimes caused hardships – for example, Patrick was riding the Kymera e-Body Board in 50 degree water in the San Francisco bay during a rainstorm. On the other hand, touring a beautiful vineyard in southern France on the Swincar e-Spider on a picturesque spring day was a memorable experience!

To learn more about a very young industry, Patrick attended the WearRAcon 2018 conference in Arizona where more than 300 attendees from across the world came together to hear cutting-edge presentations and see demonstrations related to exoskeletons and wearable robotics to augment human performance.

After testing out various land and water gear and learning about exciting new products that would be hitting the market in the coming months and years, contract negotiations and product ordering process began in earnest. Researching outdoors high tech gear is the fun part, the contracts…not so much… 

The stage was set for a July 2018 grand opening.

Adventure Sports Innovation Plane Sunset Landing

Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.

There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!

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