Honda's Easy Rider

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Need an excuse for getting fat for lack of exercise? Buy Honda’s latest invention, and you won’t even have to walk to the bathroom anymore, assuming a barrier-free environment. Honda presents the UNI-CUB, the first vehicle you steer with your ass.

The UNI-CUB is the next generation of the U3-X personal mobility device that Honda announced in 2009. The UNI-CUB does away with joy sticks and pedals. It combines balance control technology (it goes where you lean) with the world’s first omni-directional driving wheel system. Your range anxiety it will heal not. It has a range of 3.7 miles, and a max speed of 3.7 mph.

Next month, Honda will field test the UNI-CUB at Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo. Later on, “practical applications of the device in a wide range of environments in Japan and other countries” shall be explored.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Grinchsmate Grinchsmate on May 16, 2012

    Am I the only one who found the video hilarious? I lost it when the woman opened the lift and there was another scooter. It is a great looking package though. I wish Honda made home appliances. Also imagine a s2000 washing machine, 9000rpm spin dry.

  • CRConrad CRConrad on May 16, 2012

    "...the first vehicle you steer with your ass." Sorry, Bertel, I think that's factually wrong: Whenever you ride your bicycle without holding on to the handle bars, you're actually steering it mit dem Arsch. Also, of course, that's how you steer the ordinary non-motorized unicycle all the time.

  • 3-On-The-Tree My 2009 C6 corvette in black looks great when it’s all washed and waxed but after driving down my 1.3 mile long dirt road it’s a dust magnet. I like white because dust doesn’t how up easily. Both my current 2021 Tundra and previous 2014 Ford F-150 3.5L Ecobomb are white
  • Bd2 Would be sweet on a Telluride.
  • Luke42 When will they release a Gladiator 4xe?I don’t care what color it is, but I do care about being able to plug it in.
  • Bd2 As I have posited here numerous times; the Hyundai Pony Coupe of 1974 was the most influential sports and, later on, supercar template. This Toyota is a prime example of Hyundai's primal influence upon the design industry. Just look at the years, 1976 > 1974, so the numbers bear Hyundai out and this Toyota is the copy.
  • MaintenanceCosts Two of my four cars currently have tires that have remaining tread life but 2017 date codes. Time for a tire-stravaganza pretty soon.
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