Making its debut in France, Honda will present the U3-X Personal Mobility Concept during the exhibition, GETTING AROUND: City, mobility and architecture being held at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (Museum of architecture and national heritage) from April 4 to August 26, 2012. The exhibition GETTING AROUND will demonstrate to visitors how living-spaces have been developed and structured, to enable people to easily move around, using all the diverse modes of transportation that have been invented in the past 150 years, between man and machine.
Inspired by ASIMO’s ability to find its own balance point, U3-X can stand upright by controlling its center of gravity. A mono-wheel traction structure, Honda’s Omni Traction Drive System, enables the U3-X to move freely and smoothly in all directions; the rider needs only to lean their upper body to shift their weight and thus control the direction of travel. U3-X was designed by Honda to be used completely intuitively by people in settings such as in museums, airports or shopping centers.
The U3-X Personal Mobility Concept uses the balance control technology developed for ASIMO: a sensor detects the inclination of the device according to the variation in weight distribution of the user, thus translating his/her intention in terms of speed and direction.Thanks to this data, the device is accurately controlled and remains in an upright position. The light monocoque body of the U3-X contains the folding seat, footrests and body, which also serves as the chassis. The result is a very practical and easy-to-carry device.
