Honda's One-Wheeler "U3-X" Can Even Crab Sideways, Easy to Ride for a Non-Unicyclist: TMS 2009

Suck at sport? Had a hard time learning how to ride bicycle much less a unicycle? You need not worry, Honda boasts anyone can ride their new motor-unicycle, even if they can't ride a good-old unicycle.

Honda's robotics technologies acquired during the development of ASIMO came to fruit in the amazing one-wheeler personal mobility device U3-X. "Honda Omni Traction Drive System" allows smooth control, it can accelerate or slow down, change direction and even move sideways, responding to the slightest shift of your bodyweight.

Pics and videos after the cut!
YouTube - Honda「U3-X」TMS2009_01


The sideway moves are kind of comical.

YouTube - Honda「U3-X」TMS2009_02


This is the "U3-X".

It's actually quite smaller than we expected.

Light enough for a woman to carry around.

U3-X adopts "Balance Control" technology, one of the three significant innovations born of the ASIMO research.

The other two are "Stride Management Assist"

...and "Bodyweight Support Assist".

"A stream of innovations born of ASIMO research"

Kind of looks like an electronic drum.

Or a futuristic boom box.

It's really quite compact.

The concept is "A one-wheeler even people who can't ride a one wheeler can ride."

The power switch.

You can stop completely like this without touching your feet to the ground.