Riding the most advanced unicycle ever built
Yesterday we got a chance to take a ride on the Honda U3-X Personal Mobility Prototype. Never heard of it? It looks kind of like a unicycle from the future, and it works similar to a Segway. With a limp.
After turning on this sleek and relatively lightweight (22 lbs) piece of metal and plastic, you fold out a simple seat and a couple of footrests. Sit down, put your feet in place, and moving is as easy as leaning in any direction, thanks the same balancing technology in Honda’s Asimo robot.
It’s not exactly hotrodding — maximum speed is 3.7 mph, or about the same as a leisurely walk — but it’s virtually effortless. When it’s time to juice up, you can plug it in to any outlet, and a charge lasts about an hour. Coolest aspect: Honda’s omnidirectional wheel tech, which doesn’t need to actually turn the wheel when you want to move sideways.
But what’s a ride on this thing actually like?

