Engadget rides the Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device! (video)

engadget ^ | 04/07/10 | By Joshua Topolsky

[Doogle]

We just had a chance to go hands... er, rear-on with Honda's latest R&D experiment, the U3-X Personal Mobility Device, and we've got the say -- it was a moving experience. If you'll recall, the tiny, uni-wheeled unit is built on the same balancing principles which the company's ASIMO uses, and utilizes the world's first omni-directional driving wheel system. What does all that mean? Well, it means that when you sit down on the thing, it moves in whatever direction you lean in, however slightly.

[Doogle]

mommy buy me that............

[Doogle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuIJRsAuCHQ&feature=popt02us03

[MHGinTN]

This looks like something I could really use! I use a chair now to do house work, etc. I can still stand and use two canes, but to do anything requiring hands free I use an electric chair which requires stop and start constantly. This device looks like I could do hands free work! I WANT ONE, Honda! BTW, where found and for how long do the batteries hold charge? Thing doesn’t look like batteries would last very long ebfore recharging. I get two to three days use on a single charge in my little chairs.

[lefty-lie-spy]

Wait.. Where are the prerequisite hot Japanese girl pics from the auto show? (perhaps I should have had them prepared. ごめん。)

[Doogle]

...charge don’t last long at all.......bout an hour

[al baby]

They have truly reinvented the wheel

[Doogle]

sure does look like it

[JSteff]

This is the next Obama mobile.

[mowowie]

Awesome!!
Now i will never have to get off my ass!

[decimon]

...it moves in whatever direction you lean in, however slightly.

Drunks will never get home.

[dead]

Does it come in a recliner? Sitting up straight is very close to excercise.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Oh boy...another way for kids to avoid exercise!!!

[Cvengr]

Hmmm, note to self.
1) Take out $10millio policy on Aunt Martha.
2) Take Aunt Martha to Macy’s with large 3rd story window.
3) Give Aunt Martha her hi-tech U3-X so she can shop on her own and because you love her so much.
4) Go down stairs with film crew to nonchalantly film Macy’s from outside, documenting your location.
5) Act surprised and grieved.
6) Force yourself to accept the policy award, grudgingly.

[Doogle]

their probably working on it

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Having raised some venture capital in the distant past, I can only hope this is an ancillary product of another more useful development (like robot mobility) for Honda.

Otherwise, the shareholders are gonna be p!ssed (cause the essential demand for this product is limited).

[Doogle]

..drunks don’t lean, they list

[Doogle]

yeah heading down the up escalator could be a challenge

[martin_fierro]

Now this is a "peronal mobility device".

[Doogle]

Honda will work on that too...2020

[bk1000]

[ZX12R]

They have truly reinvented the wheel

Thinking the same thing. Why would anyone that could walk, want one? The greenies should be going ballistic over wasting electricity, if you can walk. Replace the balancing technology with a human brain, and we're simply back to a unicycle.

[Doogle]

all-terrain.

[hoagy62]

Un-be-freaking-lievable! I could ceratinly see the possible uses for it.

Rental units available for airports, museums, shopping malls.

If you have a foot or knee injury and want to get around.

People with mobility issues that don’t want a chair or scooter device.

And they fit in a car trunk without a problem!

I like!

[Sgt_Schultze]

[Doogle]

now those things are dangerous.

[Tainan]

Where’s the cup-holders?

[Doogle]

..behind the Boss speakers