Horse-Powered Buggy

Kal Cobalt

"My friends and relatives thought of me as a somewhat eccentric half-mad inventor attempting the impossible," says Abdolhadi Mirhejazi, the Iranian engineer who invented the Naturmobil.

Seeking to invent new, cruelty-free ways to utilize horses, Mirhejazi created a vehicle powered by a horse that walks on a fiberglass treadmill within the actual vehicle. The improbably-powered machine can reach speeds of around 50 MPH and also powers two LED screens on the sides to display advertising.

The Naturmobil also contains numerous features for the comfort and safety of the horse, from low-tech soft shoes to a high-tech monitoring system that automatically switches the vehicle to battery power when the horse's heartrate or body temperature rise too high.

Mirhejazi plans to exhibit the Naturmobil in the United States next month. Dubai newspaper Xpress also hosts a stunning gallery of Naturmobil images. 

Image by phos4 under Creative Commons license.