OK, so, Gareth may not like it, but this video of Honda’s prototype U3-X omni-wheeled personal vehicle my brother just sent me is rather more persuasive than the shaky hand-cam footage of nervous American riders Gar posted back in 2009. Although I agree the butt-pads are kind of creepy. From IEEE Spectrum:
The U3-X uses a balance control system that derives from Honda’s research on human walking dynamics for its famed ASIMO bipedal humanoid robot. When the rider leans his or her body, an angle tilt sensor sends data to the balance control system, which in turns moves the wheel, maintaining balance.
Also, is it just me, or does the U3-X look a lot like the Graystone’s house servitron from the BSG spin-off Caprica? [Thanks, Glen!]
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