A Roller Racer, or Flying Turtle as it was originally named by the inventor, is a toy human-powered vehicle for children. It was invented in the 1970s by a retired Boeing engineer as a gift for his grandson, using a tractor seat for the prototype toy.[1] The vehicle consists of an injection-molded, polyethylene seat with rear wheels, attached to a T-style handlebar by a pin joint. The handlebars also have wheels, attached to what would be the vertical part of the "T". In the 1980s the Roller Racer was sold under the WHAM-O brand name Dragonfire,[2] but has been manufactured by Mason Corporation of Brentwood, Tennessee, US, since January 1987 .[3]
The method of propulsion is unique to this scooter. The user moves forward by oscillating the handlebars from side to side. Published studies in Experimental Non-Linear Physics have been conducted worldwide on this product. It is used in amusement parks, schools, day care centers, family fun centers and homes.[4]
Krishnaprasad . P.S. . Tsakiris, Dimitris . Oscillations, SE(2)-snakes and motion control: a study of the Roller Racer . Dynamical Systems . 16 . 4 . 347–397 . December 2001 . 10.1080/14689360110090424 . 10.1.1.110.2314 .