Seems like the world has gone crazy with these unique one wheelers. First it was Segway (two wheeler but its not a bike so who is counting!), then UniCycle, then YikeBike and now its Honda’s U3-X.

From the Asimo division of Honda here it is the “bipedal humanoid robot” as honda calls it.

The compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the rider’s legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking – forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally – achieved using the world’s first omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System, or HOT Drive System).

Honda will continue research and development of the device including experiments in a real-world environment to verify the practicality of the device.

Key specifications of the experimental model

Length × Width × Height(mm) 315 × 160 × 650
Weight less than 22 lbs
Battery Type Lithium ion battery
Operation time (with fully charged battery) 1 hour

Here is the video of the U3-X in action.

And for those of you wonder how the sideways movement works – here is the demo of concept.