Honda’s new mobility scooter concept is controlled by your mind
- Honda gave us a sneak peek into the future of mobility
- This scooter is steered using bodyweight rather than hands
- It uses feedback control to make the behaviour as natural for the user as possible.
Published on Oct 31, 2023 at 6:36 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 03, 2023 at 3:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Honda gave us a sneak peek into the future of mobility at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) with a unique mobility scooter.
And the tech looks as fun as it is functional: introducing the UNI -ONE.
YOU CAN SEE THE MIND-CONTROLLED UNI-ONE IN ACTION IN THE VIDEO BELOW:
READ MORE! Six wacky gadgets from the Japan Mobility Show 2023
This hands-free device is designed for those with mobility disabilities, the elderly and even those who aren’t physically impaired.
Instead of the user steering with their hands, however, this mobility scooter is steered using bodyweight.
That means users who are able can use their hands while they’re on the move.
The innovative system in the UNI-ONE mobility scooter uses posture sensors to detect the person sitting in its postural movements.
Data on inclination angle and angular velocity is then used to predict the user’s intetions.
Whether you want to stay in place or move in a certain direction at a certain speed – it can make it happen for you.
Then, based on the results of the estimate, it uses feedback control to make the behaviour as natural for the user as possible.
Smart.
The two-wheel drive boasts advanced control technology to avoid the device from tipping over and causing injury to the person using it.
It should be noted that it’s not the same as a wheelchair, as not everyone with mobility issues could safely lean to steer it.
However, aside from bodyweight, their is also a joystick-control mode when it’s in the lowered position.
It’s extremely sensitive and responsive to movement in all directions making it a super smooth ride.
One other surprising feature seen at JMS is its ability to adjust its height.
A lowered position allows the user to safely get on board.
Fast forward to them being comfortably seated and it effortlessly shifts into a higher position.
This is a social communication function to ensure users are nearer to eye level of others who are standing.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
