Anyone seen this yet? This is so freaking cool! Go watch the video here.... http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c090924New-Personal-Mobility-Device/video01/index.html
Cool but begs the question: why? Be hard for the disabled to use it, same for the elderly.... Another toy for the lazy?
Agree that this prototype doesn't have allot of use but I *think* the point is that this is the bldg block for something else...............Remindend me of the 'cars' from 'Minority Report'
You do not have to keep your hands on the seat, it responds to weight shift, so simply extending your arm can cause it to change direction in response. I cannot find the vid I watched right before I posted this, but it explains how the drive works and it's amazing, more akin to the "Audi" in I,Robot than the Minority Report vehicles, as it can move sideways as easily as go forward, backward or diagonally. I'm still trying to find that vid..... For those of us who are not lazy but have health issues that restrict our ability to walk, this could be a godsend way to get around without having the stigma of one of those personal rides from the scooter store. Another vid.... http://g4tv.com/videos/45735/alison-rides-the-honda-ux3-device/ Here's the one I was looking for - finally! [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuIJRsAuCHQ&feature=related[/ame]
Yeah, but I'll bet the carpet doesn't match the drapes on that blonde..... At the very end of the video notice how completely natural being on the device seems? They move around as if it's just an extension of their bodies, in fact in another vid I found the reviewer says much the same thing, that riding it feels completely natural after only a few moments. I like how she "walks" it into the room by very gentle movements on the carrying handle too....the dynamic wheel configuration is just brilliant. One downside tho - a 1 hour run time in it's current configuration.