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The Honda U3-X is an experimental self-balancing one-wheeled personal transporter shown in 2009.
It was unveiled by Honda's CEO on September 24, 2009, and it was announced that it would be shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. '' Time'' magazine called it one of the 50 best inventions of 2009.
In April 2010, Honda engineers did a short demonstration of two of the devices in Times Square, New York City.
In May 2010, Honda representatives demonstrated the U3-X at the
Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device in NY
indoor and outdoor demonstrations, April 2010. U3-X Electric concept cars Robotics at Honda One-wheeled balancing robots Personal transporters {{vehicle-stub
The Honda U3-X is an experimental self-balancing one-wheeled personal transporter shown in 2009.
History
It was unveiled by Honda's CEO on September 24, 2009, and it was announced that it would be shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. '' Time'' magazine called it one of the 50 best inventions of 2009.
In April 2010, Honda engineers did a short demonstration of two of the devices in Times Square, New York City.
In May 2010, Honda representatives demonstrated the U3-X at the Honda Collection Hall
The Honda Collection Hall is a transport museum housing a collection of Honda consumer- and racing-oriented artifacts. It is on the grounds of the Twin Ring Motegi race track located at Motegi, Tochigi, Japan. It opened in 1998. It is operated by ...
in Motegi, Tochigi, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
Honda presented the Honda UNI-CUB, a successor to this device at Osaka Motor Show 2013.
Design and operation
Honda developed the U3-X with technology originally developed for ASIMO the bipedal human robot project. Honda states that the "U" stands for unicycle and for universal. It weighs and travels at , a similar speed to theToyota Winglet
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
.
Honda U3-X is a compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the rider's legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking - forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. It uses Honda Omni-Traction (HOT) drive system to permit it to move in any lateral direction. The system uses multiple small diameter motorised wheels connected inline to form one large diameter wheel. Rotating the large diameter wheel moves the U3-X forward and backward, while rotating the small diameter wheels moves it side-to-side. Combining these movements causes the U3-X to move diagonally.
It has not been announced yet whether the vehicle will be offered for public sale. The price is not announced yet.
Specifications
Honda stated the U3-X key specifications as follows: * Length * Width (stowed) * Height (stowed) * Weight < * Top speed * Drive system: Omni Traction Drive System * Battery type: Lithium-ion battery * Operation time: ≈ 1 hourSee also
*Toyota Winglet
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
* Segway PT
References
Further reading
*External links
Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Device in NY
indoor and outdoor demonstrations, April 2010. U3-X Electric concept cars Robotics at Honda One-wheeled balancing robots Personal transporters {{vehicle-stub