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Cape Town - Honda’s very compact personal mobility concept is being prepared for its European debut, but how would you feel atop this ‘segway of unicycles’?
The innovative U3-X forms part of an exhibition entitled “Getting Around” and will be on show between April and August, 2012 at France’s Museum of Architecture and Heritage, in Paris.
The concept – a self-balancing one-wheeled electric vehicle – was first unveiled at the Tokyo auto show in 2009.
SELF-CONTAINED
It is inspired by robotic technologies developed for Asimo, Honda’s humanoid robot, and can stand upright by controlling its centre of gravity.
A mono-wheel traction structure, Honda’s Omni Traction (HOT) drive system, enables the U3-X to move freely and smoothly in all directions. It uses a large, “regular” wheel that is actually made up of several small wheels, which can rotate independently, meaning that the device can go in any direction, all being controlled with a simple lean of the rider’s upper body.
U3-X weighs under 10kg and its seat and footrests fold into the device for easy transportation.
While Honda’s futuristic device has been shown in New York in the US, Tochigi in Japan and - most recently - Paris, France, there has been no confirmation whether the U3-X will be available for consumer sale.
The innovative U3-X forms part of an exhibition entitled “Getting Around” and will be on show between April and August, 2012 at France’s Museum of Architecture and Heritage, in Paris.
The concept – a self-balancing one-wheeled electric vehicle – was first unveiled at the Tokyo auto show in 2009.
SELF-CONTAINED
It is inspired by robotic technologies developed for Asimo, Honda’s humanoid robot, and can stand upright by controlling its centre of gravity.
A mono-wheel traction structure, Honda’s Omni Traction (HOT) drive system, enables the U3-X to move freely and smoothly in all directions. It uses a large, “regular” wheel that is actually made up of several small wheels, which can rotate independently, meaning that the device can go in any direction, all being controlled with a simple lean of the rider’s upper body.
U3-X weighs under 10kg and its seat and footrests fold into the device for easy transportation.
While Honda’s futuristic device has been shown in New York in the US, Tochigi in Japan and - most recently - Paris, France, there has been no confirmation whether the U3-X will be available for consumer sale.