Honda Cars : Honda demonstrates the Uni-Cub: personal mobility meets 'Uniracers' | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by Jeff Blagdon of www.theverge.com

This weekend in Tokyo, Honda took the wraps off its Uni-Cub personal mobility device concept, showing the public what the self-balancing, motorized "unicycle" is capable of. The Omni Traction Drive System in the Uni-Cub uses a system of small wheels that rim the main drive wheel, propelling the vehicle 90 degrees left or right. The result: the seated rider can smoothly and (seemingly) effortlessly move in any direction just by leaning — front, back, side-to-side, or any combination thereof. A representative from Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation took the Uni-Cub through its paces during a short 10-minute demo, showing off the device’s tight turning radius by repeatedly looping backward inside a ring of spectators. The moves looked tricky to pull off, but we’re told that it’s really easy to learn — supposedly you can pick it up in 10 minutes.

The Uni-Cub's top speed is 6kph (about 3.7mph), and its lithium-ion battery pack will keep it running for about an hour at that pace. Of course, no 21st Century vehicle would be complete without a smartphone app, and Honda's allows the rider to rotate his or her Uni-Cub on the spot (say, to turn and face someone), as well as call it over from across the room (video below). Also, if you're worried about the vehicle's performance on hills, we learned it can tackle grades of up to 8 percent. Honda hasn't announced any plans to put the Uni-Cub into production, but it will start letting the public test drive it in spring of 2013.

Source;
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/17/3092977/honda-uni-cub-unicycle-personal-mobility-demonstration

Honda Cars : Honda Announces New UNI-CUB Personal Mobility Device Designed for Harmony with People | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

05/14/2012 - TOKYO, Japan

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today unveiled the new UNI-CUB personal mobility device, designed for harmony with people. Featuring a compact design and comfortable saddle, UNI-CUB offers the same freedom of movement in all directions that a person enjoys while walking. Representing the evolution of the U3-X personal mobility device that Honda announced in 2009, UNI-CUB features Honda's proprietary balance control technology and the world's first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System). These technologies allow the rider to control speed, move in any direction, turn and stop, all simply by shifting his or her weight. Since the rider can freely move forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally, he or she can quickly and easily maneuver among other people.
Moreover, UNI-CUB's compact saddle-style packaging makes it easy for the rider's legs to reach the ground and maintains eye-level height with other pedestrians. This configuration promotes harmony between the rider and others, letting the rider travel freely and comfortably inside facilities and among moving people.
Starting in June 2012, Honda will jointly conduct demonstration testing of UNI-CUB with Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. In addition to testing the feasibility of using UNI-CUB indoors, this project will explore the practical applications of the device in a wide range of environments in Japan and other countries.
The balance control technology of UNI-CUB is part of the Honda Robotics family of technologies, which originates with Honda's research into humanoid robots, including the world-famous ASIMO.
Going forward, Honda will continue its proactive research and development of next-generation mobility technologies, aiming always to offer more and more people the joy and fun that comes from freedom of movement.
Key specifications of UNI-CUB

Size (L x W x H)	520 x 345 x 745 mm
Seat height	745 – 825 mm
Battery type	Lithium-ion battery
Maximum speed	6 km/h
Range	6 km
Application environment	Barrier-free indoor environments

Key features of UNI-CUB:
Maneuverability promotes compatibility with people in many environments:
1. Omni-directional freedom of movement similar to human walking
UNI-CUB has a two-wheel configuration with a minimal wheelbase. The front wheel features the Honda Omni Traction Drive System that Honda first announced in 2009. The rear wheel moves laterally to facilitate turning. By leveraging the different rotational speeds of the front and rear wheel treads during lateral movements, UNI-CUB can move forwards and backwards, side-to-side and diagonally and also turn in place, making possible quick, nimble movement.
2. Movement in harmony with other people
Honda's proprietary balance control technology makes it possible for the rider to freely control the wheels of the UNI-CUB, much as human beings maintain their balance. With a design that takes into consideration the rider's environment, this system allows the rider to maneuver while moving side by side with or holding hands with another person.
3. Compact size for moving and climbing gradients in barrier-free indoor environments
Thanks to UNI-CUB's compact saddle-style packaging, the rider and vehicle together are about the same width as a person when walking. Optimized wheel design and high-precision drive/balance control enhance UNI-CUB's ability to climb gradients in barrier-free indoor environments.

Ease of control promotes freedom of movement:
4. Weight shift control combined with touch panel control
When the rider is using weight shift control, UNI-CUB's incline sensor detects the direction in which the rider is leaning, allowing UNI-CUB to calculate the direction and speed intended by the rider. And touch panel control via smartphone and other devices is another convenient control option.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/-honda-announces-new-uni-cub-personal-mobility-device-designed-for-harmony-with-people

Honda Cars : U3-X Personal Mobility Prototype Video | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Incredible....

Honda Cars : Hands On with Honda's U3-X Personal Mobility Prototype | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda's remarkable U3-X personal mobility prototype is the device Segway inventor Dean Kamen should have introduced. Shaped like a figure 8, Honda's omni-directional, robotics-controlled U3-X is like an intelligent unicycle, where your own balancing skills are not required.

Unveiled last year at the Tokyo Motor Show, the U3-X has never been ridden in the U.S.—until now. I got a rare chance to try out the prototype at an invite-only event in Manhattan. Honda execs started the afternoon with a brief overview of the U3-X. The device, at roughly 25 inches high and six inches wide, is small enough to fit between your legs. Two small foot rests flip out from either side, and the top half of the device opens, butterfly-style, to provide a cushioned leather seat. The U3-X weight about 22 lbs and has a handle on top for easy carrying. However, since the U3-X balances itself (a trick learned from Honda's ASIMO robot), you can simply hold the handle and roll it along. Its lithium-ion battery holds an hour charge and features a rather unique omni-directional wheel system (called an Omni Traction Drive System) that can roll forward on the full-size wheel or sideways on dozens of little wheels that sit inside the larger wheel. Balancing is provided by accelerometers and sensors that detect the rider's center of gravity and make constant adjustments to keep the U3-X and rider in perfect balance. Riding is simply a matter of leaning, slightly, in the direction you want to go.

After the talk, we got a brief primer on exactly how to ride the U3-X: While facing away from the device, hold the seat with two hands and back onto the U3-X. At the same time, put one foot on one footrest. Sit down and then pick up the other foot. This worked for me exactly as described and within seconds I was gliding across the floor. Subtle movements of my upper back and shoulders sent to forward, back and side-to-side. To make, say, a hard right or left turn, I'd put one foot on the floor and gently turn. I rarely had to do this, though, because the U3-X responded to even my most subtle movements. The U3-X can travel up to three MPH, but even at this top speed, I never felt like I had to make a sudden movement to stop or avoid a collision. I just leaned back a bit in the opposite direction and the U3-X stopped. At one point, I rode in unison with another U3-X rider. I never feared falling and noticed that bumping into the other rider didn't send the U3-X or me into a tail spin.

I've ridden a Segway and, while it's an amazing device, it was never this simple or—more importantly—unobtrusive. A product like this that allow personal mobility to the able and, potentially, disabled, without needing special pathways, or sticking out like a store thumb, is something else altogether.

Honda wouldn't share the software platform or actual CPU intelligence inside the U3-X. That's not surprising for a prototype device. More distressing, though, is that the product, which took years develop has no "to-market" plan—or at least not one Honda would share. Honda execs would only say that it's still a prototype and they don't know when consumers will get their hands—or butts—on it.

Source;
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362334,00.asp