Electric unicycle by Honda

An electric unicycle has been unveiled by Honda which says will revolutionise the way we get around and allow people to travel to work without breaking sweat.

The technology used in the sleek and silver U3X 'personal mobility device' has been borrowed from the company's famous Asimo humanoid robot.



An internal balance control means that it constantly stands upright. In order to move, a driver simply has to lean in the direction they wish to travel (forwards, backwards, side-to-side or diagonally) and the 'personal mobility' device sets off on its single wheel.

The device stands 26ins (65cm) high, weighs just 22lbs (10kg) and is powered by a lithium ion battery that runs for one hour before needing to be recharged.

It also has foot rests that fold out from the body and can move at a maximum speed of 3.7mph, described by the designers as the pace of a brisk walk.







The unicycle was unveiled in Tokyo by Honda's president Takanobu Ito, who emphasised that the U3-X was still in the planning stages.

"We believe this is the first step in realising the fun of human transportation and expanding that joy indefinitely," he said.

"And if my legs get a little weak, I would like to have one of these around the house. It makes it easy to move about."

Chief engineer Yasuhisa Arai said Honda had no immediate plans to sell the device but was looking into its potential uses.



Via - Orange News

0 comments:

Post a Comment