Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn ( 1785 – 1851 ) from Germany was an ingenuous but slightly eccentric inventor, who left his name in the history of railways. In 1813 von Drais had constructed a four-wheeled wooden vehicle, which was propelled by kicking and shoving with poles. Later, when railways became more common, his cart was moved on rails. The successors of his vehicle are called Draisine in German and French, dressin in Swedish, resiina in Finnish.

Von Drais threatened the laws of nature by positioning them behind the other and inventing a steering system for turning the front wheel. He compared his "Laufmaschine" to skating: "In truth, it runs a considerable distance while the rider is inactive, and with the same rapidity as when his feet are in motion." Via: