Posted on 09/29/2009 12:38:19 AM PDT by Daffynition
TOKYO, Sep. 24, 2009 (Kyodo News International) -- Honda Motor Co. (NYSE:HMC) , the developer of humanoid robot ASIMO, unveiled Thursday a compact, self-balancing personal mobility device that works like an electric unicycle capable of moving in all directions by shifting one's body weight.
The device, the U3-X, is powered by lithium ion batteries and can run at a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour. It lasts for one hour on a fully charged battery, which takes about 90 minutes.
Using the balance control technology applied to the two-legged ASIMO, the rider can move the U3-X by leaning into the desired direction, either forwards or backwards, sideways or diagonal.
Honda also showcased its new drive wheel system, which has small motorized wheels embedded inside a larger wheel, and allows flexible movement in any direction.
The automaker says it developed the U3-X as a device to blend into everyday lifestyles. It is 65 centimeters high and weighs less than 10 kilograms.
''I am confident this will be a first step towards a new mobility that can provide people with unlimited fun and joy in transportation,'' Honda President Takanobu Ito said at a press event in Tokyo.
Ito said he wants to use the U3-X at home when his legs are weaker, while Shinichiro Kobashi, the developer of the device, said he envisions using it to commute to and from work or school.
The U3-X will be on display at next month's Tokyo Motor Show, but Honda said no details have been decided on when it will be launched as a product.
Toyota Motor Corp. has also developed a personal transport device that the user can ride in a standing position, called the Winglet Toyota Partner Robot, and looks like the U.S. Segway Personal Transporter.
Thanks for the link.
Coming to a sidewalk, near you?
Pinging you, just because.
If it can be fitted with a teleprompter, it might save someone from whip lash.
It looks cool, but it can only go six kilometers in one hour, and then it quits. I can walk further and faster than that, and I’d bet in better shape. As charming as it is, it’s going to have to perform better.
OMG! That’s hilarious!
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