Honda has found a new application for its sit-down Segway for lazy shoppers launched last year. The Uni-One is being merged with VR goggles for "a first-of-its-kind extended reality experience that merges the joy of mobility with virtual reality adventures."
Honda has been rolling with uniwheel electric mobility solutions since at least 2009, and we even got to try one out at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show in the shape of the Uni-Cub ß. The latest WALL-E-like seated mobility device was introduced last year as an upcoming rental offering in Japan, though a global rollout was mentioned.
Now it's set to make its US debut at SXSW in Austin, Texas, from March 10 – as part of a Honda XR Mobility Experience. "By combining the unique, physical experience of riding the Honda Uni-One with highly immersive digital entertainment, Honda is creating a brand new multimodal experience that takes extended reality technologies to the next level," said the company's Hirokazu Hara.
The self-stabilizing electric Uni-One features an evolution of the Uni-Cub ß's Omni Traction Drive System that sports two wheels and allows it to move in any direction, with the person in the seat changing direction and speed by shifting weight or using a joystick. The seat can reportedly raise the rider up to 27.6 inches (70 cm) to meet the eyes of a standing friend or lower "to better communicate with those who are seated or small children" at a height of 21.7 in (55 cm).
When demo models were tested at Suzuka Circuit Park in Japan last year, Honda paired the experience with AR technology to make a game of it. Folks attending SXSW will be invited to don a VR headset and lean into a digital adventure, where they "can experience the peaceful feeling of floating in the sky or the exhilarating feeling of gliding along a half-pipe path." As they move through the XR experience, the Uni-One will move too, controlled by shifting their body weight.
The hoverchair has a top speed of 3.7 mph (6 km/h), and its Li-ion battery is reckoned good for up to 5 miles (8 km) per charge when cruising at 2.5 mph. It can accommodate a weight capacity of up to 242 lb (109 kg).
Honda envisages the XR Mobility Experience being hosted in obstacle-free indoor and outdoor spaces at theme parks, entertainment hubs and shopping malls. There's no word yet on when that might happen, but you can get a pre-SXSW taste in the video below.
Source: Honda