Honda's U3-X personal mobility device which so impressed us at the Tokyo Motor Show last year has made its first appearance on U.S. shores. The unique multi-directional, self-balancing one-wheeler is currently taking part in a three day demonstration New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square with a second event scheduled for April 13-15, at the 2010 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit, Michigan.
While it looks like a high-tech unicycle, the U3-X and the technology that underlies it could have far reaching implications on the way we - and robots - get around in the 21st Century. It uses the world’s first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System) to achieve smooth movement in any direction along with the company's proprietary balance-control system evolved from research into human walking dynamics for ASIMO the humanoid robot.
See the U3-X in action in the video below: