PersonalTransportation
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Honda's UNI-CUB mobility device is the butt of ASIMO's jokes
Our humanoid friend ASIMO had better start counting his blessings. If fate had dealt him another hand, he could have ended up as the behind-wearing UNI-CUB. Honda's latest personal mobility device appears to be a robotic stool with an omnidirectional wheel (dubbed the Honda Omni Traction Drive System, no less). You control speed and direction of the UNI-CUB by shifting your weight in the saddle, and the unit is designed to keep you at eye-level with non chair-riding pedestrians. Obviously this is no all-terrain vehicle, but it does claim to be able to handle gradients, has a top speed of six km/h and a range just under four miles. Which should be plenty for the National Museum of Engineering in Japan where these butt-supporting bots will be demonstrated in June.
Permoveh personal vehicle prototype can travel sideways, diagonally (video)
We've seen all sorts of great ideas to assist with personal mobility, and we think this prototype is up there with the rest of them. The Permoveh (from Personal Mobile Vehicle) was developed by Komori Masaharu, an associate professor from Kyoto University. Using a clever wheel-in-wheel system, the buggy can travel diagonally and laterally, with no need for turning space. The idea allows wheelchair users access to places that otherwise might have been too difficult with existing vehicles. Sadly we don't know whether we'll see this in production any time soon, but if you head on over the break, you'll see its creator showing off its moves.
Martin says its jetpack is 'practical,' offers crappy computer animation as evidence
Ever wonder what a jetpack is good for, besides fulfilling dreams and fighting Nazis? Well, Martin wants you to know there are, in fact, practical applications for its $86,000 personal propulsion system. According to the aviation company everyone from emergency responders to search and rescue teams to military personnel could find a place for the dual-engine craft in their arsenal of tools. Sure, we could see how their ability to get in and out where the size of a helicopter or plane might be prohibitive would prove handy, but their high cost and limited carrying capacity make them a tough sell. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy seeing the (poorly) rendered vision of our future filled with jetpacks in the video after the break. Come to think of it, we could see this coming in handy for our CES coverage... excuse us, we need to make some phone calls.
Tilto personal transporter looks like seated Segway, does donuts in Argentine parking lot
Remember how the Segway revolutionized personal transportation? Neither do we, but this Tilto single-person electric vehicle is really gonna go places. Like, around the parking lot -- "manos libres!" Named for the two-step maneuver you'll use to get going (tilt and go), the battery-powered Tilto can move forward, backwards, and sideways at its top speed of 20km/h (12 mph) without the need for pedals or a steering wheel. You'll be able to travel 15 km with each charge, but that should give you plenty of time to score a traffic ticket in the UK, or to roll a safe distance away from screaming fans after your next concert in Arizona. Tilto is little more than a "prototipo experimental" at this point, without a release date or any plans for production, but roll past the break to see how it works.
Martin Jetpack priced at $86,000, mere mortals will soon be able to buy one too
Tired of the limited legroom, bad food, and worse movies you have to put up with during a flight? Well, it's time to bust out your company credit card and get yourself a Martin Jetpack, which has just become the first commercially available jetpack. Driven by a pair of washing machine-sized fans strapped to your back, this personal transporter will give you a pretty cool 30 minutes of flight time and comes with a bunch of redundancy systems to ensure any mistakes don't turn fatal. The rotors are built out of a carbon / Kevlar composite and are powered by a two-liter V4 two-stroke engine capable of delivering 200hp (or 150kW). Good old gasoline is the fuel of choice here and private individuals are expected to be offered the chance to fulfill every geek and geekette's dream later this year. Just make sure you have $86,000 lying around to fund it.
Heathrow taxi pods become a glorious, driverless reality
Finally, we are in the future -- Heathrow Airport is rolling out those driverless pod taxis it announced two years ago, and they look just as adorable as ever. The ULTra Personal Pod cars are fully automated battery-powered pods that zoom around at up to 25mph on a special road network, and can transport four passengers and their luggage between Heathrow's Terminal 5 and its business car parks. If, like us, you have a thing for retro-futuristic design, you'll do well to check out the gallery below, complete with interior shots, and there's also a video after the break. Enjoy! [Via BoingBoing Gadgets]
On-demand personal transport system could shuttle folks around Heathrow
Britain's Heathrow airport has already made plans to step its game up once this year with a swank new parking garage, but the latest development most certainly outshines the prior. Reportedly, a network of 18 four-seater pods will be unveiled within two years after Terminal 5 opens next March in order to shuttle passengers "to and from a business car park to the new terminal building." Hailed as the UK's "first personal rapid transport system (PRT)," this energy-efficient, battery powered system will enable the driverless pods to be summoned on demand by individual families and taken to a variety of nearby locations. Creators claim that users will be thrilled by having their own taxi of sorts without having to ride alongside strangers, but not surprisingly, each pod will indeed support CCTV surveillance. Hey, it's Big Brother or John Doe -- pick your poison.
Segway's new loan program offers scoot now, pay later
It seems the makers of everyone's favorite self-balancing scooter (sorry i-swing) have finally realized the average consumer might need a little time to come up with the $5,000 the Segway's price tag demands. The company's execs have tapped the consumer financing arm of General Electric to instate a loan program, much like the one car dealerships have been using for decades, letting buyers pay in monthly installments. This comes as part of an effort, which may eventually include the sale of shares to the public through an IPO, to regain company funds lost to lower-than-expected sales. Of course buyers will have to qualify for the loan and accept the increase in total cost that'll come from interest, so rich guys like crooked hand-held gaming executives will be better off paying cash, then trying not to crash their shiny new Segway into pole at 125 mph.[Via ZDNet]
