Kudays Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 Hi all, Honda introduces Uni-Cub indoor unicycle. I have ended up founding this vehicle while discussing on spherical tires with Mono. As a successor to the 2009 Honda U3-X, it was demonstrated at the Osaka Motor Show 2013. A launch date has not yet been announced. Measuring 510 x 315 x 620 mm and weighing 25 kg, the UNI-CUB is powered by a lithium-ion battery and has a 6 km/h top speed and 6 km range. The seat height is 620 mm, while footrests are designed to double as support stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Kudays said: Honda introduces Uni-Cub indoor unicycle. How is it even possible to produce a wheel THAT heavy that is only capable of going 6km at 6km/h. At 25kg it is twice as heavy as (say) a KingSong 14D which is 5 times as fast with 5 times the range. For a major company to produce something with THAT poor a specification is incredible. What makes it even more underwhelming is its “innovative” side rolling capability as well which should mean it can balance even whilst standing still - and then they ADD A STABILISING WHEEL! This has to be the single worst product Honda have ever produced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch.Eng.62 Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 Probably the multi direction wheel is very heavy. Watching the video make me think that it's more office chair than transporting device Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 8 hours ago, Keith said: How is it even possible to produce a wheel THAT heavy that is only capable of going 6km at 6km/h. At 25kg it is twice as heavy as (say) a KingSong 14D which is 5 times as fast with 5 times the range. For a major company to produce something with THAT poor a specification is incredible. What makes it even more underwhelming is its “innovative” side rolling capability as well which should mean it can balance even whilst standing still - and then they ADD A STABILISING WHEEL! This has to be the single worst product Honda have ever produced! It's a fancy wheel chair, so I wouldn't compare the specifications to EUCs or electric bicycles or motorcycles but to electric wheel chairs. I can see good reasons for a stabilising wheel. It may improve the riding experience and safety significantly. It's IMHO hard to criticise without having even ever tried. EDIT: it seems actually immediately obvious that it is very hard to control the orientation of the chair without a second wheel on the ground. That is, the chair could move in any direction but it could not turn to let the rider face towards the direction of moving. That is the reason why the second wheel is not oriented inline with the main wheel but perpendicular. I don't see anything wrong with giving a fancy wheel chair a go to the market and see whether people like it. I guess their point is to figure out whether people like it or not and move on accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofjob Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 This is more of a wheelchair replacement IMHO, like the Segway+Blumil self-balancing wheelchair combo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Mono said: It's a fancy wheel chair, so I wouldn't compare the specifications to EUCs or electric bicycles or motorcycles but to electric wheel chairs. I’m sure Honda did their due diligence before spending vast sums of money on this project. They always think out of the box. I can certainly see this motorized chair having a major role in the corporate world. My secretaries are alway rolling around the office on their chairs to speak to each other. Our office is small but a large office with hundreds of cubicles would benefit. Time is money. Also someone with a mild or significant lower extremity disability would also benefit. The footprint of this device is so much small than a wheel chair. The Uni-Cub will definately play a role in the ever increasing corporate world. Wonder if Honda checked with their attorneys to see if this balancing device infringes on any of Mr. Chen’s ubiquitous patents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Rehab1 said: Also someone with a mild or significant lower extremity disability would also benefit. The footprint of this device is so much small than a wheel chair. Yes my first thought was that it would only be of any real use to someone with a disability, but then it occurred to me that it’s stool like sitting and foot position, plus the need to weight shift to control it would exclude quite a lot of lower body disabilities and pretty much all balance difficulties, in fact the only group I could imagine being able to easily use it would be those with reasonably full motor control but little body strength, someone with chronic COPD or emphysema for example. Where as the Blumil https://www.speedyfeet.co.uk/collections/blumil-wheel-chair/products/blumil-self-stabilising-wheel-chair I would have thought would be usable by anyone with sufficient arm strength to be able to move their upper body. I guess as an office chair it would certainly work - albeit I cannot imagine any of the companies I’ve worked for forking out for them unless a really solid case for improved productivity could be made - that will challenge the Six Sigma practitioners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudays Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 I think Honda develops own tires to use it for cars. Imagine how easy it would be parking your car using these tires. Honda Uni-cub seems to be a prototype of a coming project. Their next project may have a lighter tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Honda is a large global corporation with DEEP pockets. It would be insane for them to make a product like this that went much faster than existing electric wheelchairs, or,specifically, significantly faster than foot traffic. They would get sued on a daily basis. As for this type of tire appearing on a road going vehicle, dream on. its way too inadequate for passenger vehicles, and probably always will be. it will never be marketed as a wheelchair substitute, because wheelchair users need a reasonable amount of protection from falling out from the sides and rear. Again, law suit city. this product will go nowhere. No one will buy it , and it will be quietly retired. Some of the technology will be incorporated in future transport devices, but you will never see these rolling down a street near you. really, I can't see why they even bothered except as an exercise to let their engineers go wild on a creative project. It will eventually lose them millions, but they can afford it. this is yet another example of stuff, that looks interesting but has no market. Even COPD sufferers can fall out of this thing. There is no benefit over a conventional mobility device, and lots of disadvantages. however, I really liked the music video it featured in that someone posted recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPS Malta Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 I can't see the video here (Youtube restricted) but I think I know what you are talking about up there. It's not only Honda producing it (or selling it at least if it's what I am thinking about). It was also sold by another company (have the details around but I can't find them yet) I tried it in Canton fair last October and recall it was exhibited in other places before too, and I can say it felt completely different than an EUC. It can stand still though the demo version didn't seem to be well calibrated to stay in place. Turning is difficult but possible through practice esp. with the help of your feet (at such slow speed). I don't think there is much use about it unless for assisting mobility to people who have some limitations in Mobility, but it will definitely give a new perspective to the newer generations. Another point is the battery capability. If you're balancing all the time, how long would a battery last? would it be enough for office hours if that's where it meant to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPS Malta Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Managed to find it... Can anyone one confirm its similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demargon Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Great news for euc, this Honda can be accessible for handicap people and show the world the advantage of euc. I like the tail wheel. But the self revolving wheel comes redundant, excessive and limiting due his weight and energy demand. hope Honda improve and simplify him. Something between a euc, the Honda concept and this video can be the answer to our unwanted shut down issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudays Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 3 hours ago, IPS Malta said: Managed to find it... Can anyone one confirm its similar? Yes this is similar with Honda U3-X (previous prototype). We discuss the new model below: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudays Posted December 27, 2017 Author Share Posted December 27, 2017 Here is the evolution of Honda personal mobility devices: http://world.honda.com/UNI-CUB/history/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPS Malta Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 anyone thinks it would be possible to have 2 sensors to move sideways or turn? It would be nice to use the pedals by evaluating different pressure levels on each to turn (using the tail) and tilting sideways to move sideways. wonder if that would be possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kudays Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 23 hours ago, IPS Malta said: anyone thinks it would be possible to have 2 sensors to move sideways or turn? It would be nice to use the pedals by evaluating different pressure levels on each to turn (using the tail) and tilting sideways to move sideways. wonder if that would be possible Nobody knows since No Honda Uni-Cubs are released yet. Only Prototypes!! I wonder if there is anybody who ever tried any of the prototypes mentioned in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPS Malta Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I managed to get an access to YT YIHIII and I can say it already has a similar control to move and turn subject to the forward/backward motion. Won't turn on itself only I guess, which friction wise makes sense (like it's harder to turn an EUC when still unless you have a rock hard tire with minimal contact surface to the road) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad0z Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 that is a very very depressed electric unicycle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.