JAPANESE UNICYCLE REINVENTS THE WHEEL

Honda’s futuristic transportation device, the U3-X is a unicycle wheelchair for the elderly. The device is small enough to use at home and work

It looks a bit like a plastic figure of eight, and its Japanese designers say it could revolutionise the way we get around, in total comfort and without breaking a sweat.

Honda Motor on Thursday unveiled an experimental electric unicycle with inbuilt balance control, a bit of advanced technology Honda borrowed from ASIMO, its humanoid robot. “If my legs get a little weak, I would like to have this around in my house. It’s easy to move around,” said Takanobu Ito, Honda’s CEO.

The self-balancing U3-X is the latest to join a growing number of futuristic transportation devices such as the Segway. Riders steer it by shifting their upper body to move in any direction – forward, backward or diagonally. The 2-feet-2-inch tall Honda machine is small enough and light enough to use at home. It can run for one hour on a single charge off its lithium ion battery, which propels the device at roughly the walking speed of an adult. It stands upright on its own, and maintains its own balance as it scoots along. The ride quality is extremely safe, with the rider sitting on it as though it’s a stool, and gently shifting one’s body weight to move. Weighing in at less than 10 kg, the single wheel on the U3-X is made up of many tiny motorcontrolled wheels, packed inside the bigger wheel. The smaller wheels can move the vehicle left and right.

The U3-X moves forward and backward and by combining the motion of both wheels; the vehicle can swiftly move diagonally as well. Honda declined to give details of the U3-X’s release date or price. Its chief engineer, Yasuhisa Arai, said the company had no immediate plans to sell the device but was looking for fun for potential uses. He said Honda would continue its research and development of the device, including some real-world experiments, to verify its practicality. In a visual presentation, Honda pictured some fun uses it imagines for the U3-X – a group of people on an outing, a teenager using it for skateboard style acrobatics, and even a rider-less version serving drinks.

Although Honda said the U3-X is meant for the elderly, it’s unclear whether they would be coordinated enough to control the device. Last year, Honda showed a gadget, which can support a wearer’s bodyweight, made of mechanical frames attached to a pair of shoes. Honda said it may be used by auto workers. Honda is planning to showcase the U3-X at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009 on October 24, 2009 in Chiba, Japan. AGENCIES

The U3-X fits comfortably between the rider’s legs, and can move in all directions – forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally