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Honda's U3-X taken for an awkward squat (video)

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 5:14PM

The granola girls over at Autoblog Green had the rare opportunity to test out the quirky little U3-X on a visit to the Honda R&D center in Japan. You remember: the self-balancing unicycle that fits in a car door and relies on an inclinometer (not gyroscope) to know which way is up. In essence it balances the rider like a broomstick held on-end in the palm of the end. Autoblog calls it "far more intriguing than a Segway" due largely to the Honda Omni Traction (HOT) drive system that allows the personal transporter to move forward, back, and left and right on a series of small wheels. Unfortunately, Honda wouldn't let anyone peek underneath to see the magic. When turned on the U3-X stands upright making small motions to maintain balance. And as awkward as it looks, riding the U3-X "couldn't be easier" -- like a Segway you just lean ever so subtly in the direction you want to go. It will tip over if the rider leans too far or too fast but it's apparently very simple and intuitive to keep upright. The 20-pound model tested was designed for indoor use only and booked along at an overdue-toilet-break pace of 4MPH. Check it out in the video after the break.

Continue reading Honda's U3-X taken for an awkward squat (video)

Honda's timeless Super Cub motorcycle showcased with a touch of EV

by Ross Miller posted Oct 21st 2009 at 8:36PM

The world's best-selling motorcycle of all time (60 million as of May 2008) is dipping its gears into the EV industry. Honda unveiled this week at the Tokyo Auto Show an electric version of its Super Cub motorcycle. Seeing as the gas-based equivalent can already get over 300 miles per gallon, we wonder just how more efficient this new concept could be. Honda reps told Wired it's a concept designed "to be just as functional and convenient" as its brother bike, so if it does reach mass market, we're holding out hope it also maintains that low price point.

Honda EV-N Concept tucks U3-X personal transporter inside door

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 30th 2009 at 6:14AM

Look, we admit it: Honda's U3-X unicycle gave us a bit of a chuckle when we first peeped the video last week. Now look at this, just look at it! Not only does the Honda EV-N Concept steal all the best retro styling from the classic Fiat 500 (or Honda 600 closer to home), it also integrates the miniscule U3-X electric transporter directly into its passenger door frame -- adding an additional 22-pounds, at least, in the process. Oh, and this little guy's electric with a solar roof panel. The EV-N will makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show next month where we hope to give it a great big hug just for showing up. A few more pics after the break, fully gallery just beyond that read link.

Continue reading Honda EV-N Concept tucks U3-X personal transporter inside door

Honda's U3-X Personal Mobility Device is the Segway of unicycles

by Paul Miller posted Sep 24th 2009 at 12:27AM

Yeah, we've seen a self-balancing unicycle before, but the brand new U3-X from Honda takes it to another level. A creepy-sterile, awesomely futuristic Honda level, to be precise. What makes the U3-X particularly interesting is it has the regular large wheel of a unicycle, but that wheel is actually made up of several small wheels in a series, which can rotate independently, meaning that the device can go forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally, all being controlled with a simple lean. Honda credits its ASIMO research for this multi-directional capability, though we're not sure we see it -- ASIMO is biped, after all -- but far be it from us to discredit an excuse to keep up the good work on the ASIMO front. Right now the "experimental model" of the U3-X gets a single hour of battery and weighs under 22 pounds, with a seat and foot rests that fold into the device for extra portability. No word of course on when the thing might make it to market, but Honda plans to show it off next month at the Tokyo Motor Show. A devastatingly short video of the U3-X in action is after the break.

Continue reading Honda's U3-X Personal Mobility Device is the Segway of unicycles

Latest ASIMO prototype is made of wood, requires one human

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 11th 2009 at 9:23PM

Honda may have bestowed plenty of improvements on ASIMO over the years, but it looks like an alumni of rival robot maker Waseda University has taken it upon himself to deliver some improvements of his own that make it even more lifelike, though no doubt just as prone to tumbles. The key, it seems, is to ditch the robotics and high-tech materials altogether and instead use something called "wood," which can be fashioned into a shell (or "costume," if you will) that's able to accommodate one slightly uncomfortable human. Either that, or ASIMO has been robot-napped from Honda and is now being held at an undisclosed location. Check out the video after the break to decide for yourself.

Continue reading Latest ASIMO prototype is made of wood, requires one human

Researchers teach ASIMO and HRP-2 a bit of real life Frogger

by Paul Miller posted Aug 4th 2009 at 10:48AM

Some George Costanza-types at Carnegie Mellon have repurposed their own hard earned knowledge of Frogger maneuvers at the university arcade into useful object avoidance techniques for robots. They've outfitted both ASIMO and HRP-2 with versions of the technology, which allows the robots to detect their surroundings, create 3D maps of obstacles and plan routes accordingly (and actually has nothing to do with Frogger). If you check out the two videos after the break, you can see that these guys really put the bots through the ringer, including some death defying spinning obstacles that ASIMO avoided with ease, and the "real life" environment the HRP-2 is faced with... but seriously, couldn't they just let ASIMO have the blue dot already?

[Thanks, Poly Bug]

Continue reading Researchers teach ASIMO and HRP-2 a bit of real life Frogger

Engadget goes legs-on with Honda's walking-assist devices (with video!)

by Joshua Topolsky posted Apr 15th 2009 at 4:34PM

helps with correct stride and assistance for forward movement, and the other which is meant for supporting your weight while doing tasks that require lots of bending at the knee. The former is intended to help the elderly, the disabled and those suffering from muscle or joint weakness walk more easily, and the latter is geared towards workers who are constantly performing leg and knee movements that can cause strain or injury. Since most of the editors at Engadget are unnaturally, monstrously large (like if Frankenstein and The Thing had a child out of wedlock) -- and could therefore only fit into one of the devices -- we brought along our more reasonably sized intern, Kevin Wong, to step up into the other's shoes (which he did with aplomb). Perhaps the most interesting facts we went away with today were about Honda's attitude on their new technology; they seemed adamantly against selling the stride-boosting stilts to the military, but they do plan on selling them at a consumer level (a la car and motorcycle sales), and... they didn't seem too keen on our ideas about outfitting our "gang" with them for help doing murders. Oh well. Check out the wildly entertaining video of all the action after the break, and enjoy a swim in the stacked gallery below.

Update: Since some of you have asked, we'll try to explain a little like what walking with the legs (the ones in the above picture at least) was like. Firstly, the leg motors run on a kind of timer, once you start moving, the computer on-board gets a "sense" of how quickly you'll be walking and begins to push and pull the motor to that rhythm. As you speed up or slow down, you can feel that "timer" catching up. The general feeling wasn't that it was adding that much to our movement -- it's obviously intended for those with some issues already, not people who are necessarily walking normally. Still, you could definitely feel the "legs" exerting a kind of tension on your muscles as you moved back and forth, and the feeling of having more power in your gait was absolutely present. Kevin's description of the second unit was that it was more difficult to walk (and there was no push / pull of a timer), but that he could sense the unit supporting his weight -- though it wasn't as if he could simply put all of his weight on the device. That unit certainly seemed to have a more substantial impact for those without a medical issue or related impediment. If you've got more specific questions, feel free to let us know in comments and we'll try to answer them!

Gallery: Engadget goes legs-on with Honda's walking-assist devices

Continue reading Engadget goes legs-on with Honda's walking-assist devices (with video!)

iRobot says its Warrior bot is more human than ASIMO

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 15th 2009 at 1:12PM

Is a humanoid robot inherently more human than your average task-specific bot? iRobot apparently doesn't think so, and it's taken square aim at one of the most popular humanoid bots around to make its point. That argument arose in a recent interview with CNET News, where iRobot CEO Colin Angle responded to a question about humanoid robots by flatly asking, "why would you want to make a humanoid robot?," adding that they might be good for movies or those looking for a robot companion, "but other than that, most tasks are best tackled by designs that are not constrained by trying to look like a person." He then goes on to note that Honda's ASIMO "requires a team of 10 or 15 people to maintain it, it can walk about, maybe, half a meter per second and in some situations climb stairs over the course of a few minutes, and if it ever falls down, it's a paperweight." On the other hand, iRobot's Warrior bot, he says, "can take a 10-foot drop onto concrete, drive 20 miles an hour, drive up stairs without stopping at full speed, carry 200 pounds of payload and has, maybe, five motors," which means it can "go nearly everywhere a human can." So, Angle says, "you look at these things and say, which one of these is a robot human? The answer is, Warrior." Is it? Or, deep down, is there a little bit of ASIMO in all of us?

Honda's "Let it Shine" commercial turns a grid of Insights into giant LED display

by Paul Miller posted Mar 29th 2009 at 3:09AM

ASIMO and his Earth-loving robot compadres pulling the strings at Honda have once again managed to find a way to save us humans from ourselves. All it took was an affordable hybrid, apparently, and Honda is showing off its new Insight by turning those LED headlights into one gigantic animated Lite-Brite in an upcoming commercial. The spot's called "Let it Shine," and the video's after the break. Hit up the read link for the making of video and a detailed carbon footprint breakdown of the shoot -- you know you want to.

Continue reading Honda's "Let it Shine" commercial turns a grid of Insights into giant LED display

Video: Honda Insight's Eco Assist nags like a backseat hippie

by Thomas Ricker posted Feb 6th 2009 at 8:42AM

Honda's new 5-passenger "Insight" hybrid just went on sale in Japan. The ¥1,890,000 (about $20,750) hatchback's 1.3l i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist features Honda's new Ecological Assist system that helps correct your wasteful driving habits. Eco Assist features an ECON mode (via dashboard button) that adjusts the engine output to conserve energy and increases regenerative recharging during deceleration. It also features Guidance and Scoring modes that adjust the background color of the speedometer and presents more (or less) leaves on the ~~dashboard~~ multi-information display to reflect your current level of fuel efficiency. The idea is simple: as your driving "improves" both your bank account and the environment will benefit. The Insight is expected to make its way to your local amber waves of grain or purple mountain majesty dealership in April, Europe in March. Skip ahead to 1:40 in the video posted after the break for the full Eco Assist rundown.

Continue reading Video: Honda Insight's Eco Assist nags like a backseat hippie

E-paper signs being tested in Tokyo for disaster prevention

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jan 27th 2009 at 3:38AM

While we're still waiting for our electronic broadsheet (hell, we'll settle for a tabloid) it looks like folks in Toshima will be seeing quite a bit of the e-paper as they hit the streets of this Tokyo ward. In a test conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the signage has been installed in the proximity of the Toshima Life and Industry Plaza, where a wireless network was established to provide updates in case of an emergency. There are currently two signs: one in the lobby of the post office measures over three meters across and sports 240 x 768 resolution (the paper has 4mm pixels), and holds down power consumption at about 24W. Stationed at the Higashi-Ikebukuro bus stop, the second sign is 60 x 40 centimeters with 144 x 96 resolution, and power consumption here is about 9W. The test will run until January 29th, after which point the city will have to rely upon its usual civil defense repertoire -- which is believed to include the vigilant eye of Honda's 49-foot ASIMO.

Hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity, giant ASIMO to lead Rose Parade

by Darren Murph posted Dec 24th 2008 at 2:09AM

For the first time ever (yes, ever!), this year's Rose Parade in Pasadena, California will be headed up by a hydrogen-powered vehicle. Honda's fuel cell-equipped FCX Clarity will lead the 120th parade, and the pace car will be followed by the Super Cub motorcycle -- the first model sold in the United States. As fancy as these two are, it's the ASIMO that'll undoubtedly steal the show, and yes, we're talking about the 49-foot iteration we spotted a few days back. Catch Honda's trio riding high on January 1 at 8:00AM PST; after that, it's time to place your bets between USC and Penn State.

Caption Contest: 49-foot ASIMO makes trees, dancers look tiny

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2008 at 4:04PM

There's nothing that screams "end of the world" quite like a 49-foot ASIMO towering over a forest, but we'd prefer to ignore inevitable doom long enough to imagine what exactly a 49-foot ASIMO would scream.

Thomas: "Dance I said! Dance!"
Chris: "Hey, did we remember to fix that bug where he falls down stairs?"
Joe: "Where's Arthur Murray when we need him the most?"
Darren: "Wait, Dancing With The Stars said what? No pimp canes? That's a deal-breaker."
Paul: "In his musical debut, 'ASIMO Takes the Stairs,' the eponymous star provides a surprisingly self-deprecating reenactment of the moments leading up to his infamous tumble. Music by Elton John."
Nilay: "Not to be outdone, iRobot later sucked the entire city of Pasadena into a football field-sized Roomba."
Don: "After years of toiling away at two-bit trade shows, ASIMO finally realized his dream project: Mr. Peanut: The Musical."
Ross: "Having been turned down by both Ultrazoid and Voltron, the giant ASIMO checked his RAM for a dance number he could do solo."
Josh T.: "Moments later, running ASIMO's 'Jazz Hands' script sent dancers flying hundreds of feet to their grizzly deaths."
Josh F.: "I'm crushing your head! I'm crushing your head!"
Cesar (from Zune): "I for one welcome our inflatable robot overlords. With a dance!"

Honda's color-changing speedometer to drive out bad driving habits

by Darren Murph posted Nov 26th 2008 at 9:50AM

So, you've a lead foot? What of it, right? Honda's hoping to make that bad little habit vanish by using the tried and true guilt trip method, or more specifically, the Ecological Drive Assist System. For starters, the technology's ECON Mode works with the CVT and engine to "support more fuel-efficient driving." The real kicker, however, is the color-based "guidance function" -- drive like a granny, your speedo lights up green, drive a little wilder, and things get a bit blue, and if you toss fuel economy to the wind and let 'er rip, expect a full-on blue screen and the voice of God to come thundering through your sound system instructing that those horses be held. The EDAS should appear in the automaker's Insight hybrid as early as Spring 2009, though there's no word if it'll be standard equipment on the rumored S3000.

Honda's FC Sport fuel-cell hybrid debuts in a puff of conceptual smoke

by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 20th 2008 at 3:57AM

If the Tesla Roadster has proven anything other than the disruptive effects of a hyper-inflated ego, it's that well designed eco-vehicles will sell... at any price. Yet the general design theme amongst hybrid builders appears to be your grandfather's loafer. Honda too, just look at the FCX Clarity. So we're pretty stoked to see Honda roll out its FC Sport concept three-seater (driver front-and-center) at the LA Auto Show using the same V-Flow fuel cell stack and electric drivetrain found in the FCX Clarity. Only thing is, it's a non-functional concept with little hope of hitting the market anytime soon if history serves. Good news for GM but bad news for consumers. As a wise man of consumer electronics once said:

"You know how you see a show car, and it's really cool, and then four years later you see the production car, and it sucks? And you go, What happened? They had it! They had it in the palm of their hands! They grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory! What happened was, the designers came up with this really great idea. Then they take it to the engineers, and the engineers go, 'Nah, we can't do that. That's impossible.' And so it gets a lot worse. Then they take it to the manufacturing people, and they go, 'We can't build that!' And it gets a lot worse."

Or to paraphrase: It's like asking for a Big Mac and getting a fish sandwich.

Read -- Parable of the Concept Car
Read -- FC Sport