[Here’s an interesting idea to enhance entertaining presence experiences. The story is from autoevolution, where it features a 19-image photo gallery and two videos (also available on YouTube here and here). For more information, see the Honda press release via PR Newswire and coverage from Gizmodo and PC Gamer. –Matthew]
Honda Uni-One Coming to SXSW 2024 to Give Americans a First-of-Its-Kind VR Experience
By Daniel Patrascu
February 29, 2024
A little over a year ago the world got to meet something called the Uni-One. Made by Honda, it is not a car, or a motorcycle, but a sort of wheelchair the Japanese carmaker describes as “a hands-free, personal mobility device.”
You could think about the Uni-One as a Segway on steroids, in the sense that it too is self-balancing and moves along thanks to the postural movements of its occupant, but adds to that ability to change the height of riding and, as of now, a seamless interaction with the virtual world.
But first, here’s a quick reminder of what this gizmo is all about. Honda’s machine has been designed as an electric personal transporter for the lazy, but it could probably be used by people in real need of such a means of transport as well. It can only travel at a top speed of 3.7 mph (6 kph), while carrying people that weigh as much as 242 pounds (110 kg).
The Uni-One moves along on wheels powered by a proprietary mechanism called the Honda Omni Traction Drive System (HOT). Like its name says, it allows omnidirectional movement of the wheels, in a manner that can be visually experienced in the second video you can find beneath this text [in the original story]. The Uni-One is equipped with two HOTs, one on each side, and that essentially gives the vehicle the ability to move in all directions, and change its heading on a whim.
The movement of the thing is handled by the user, but generally with no need to push any buttons or turn some steering wheel (there is a joystick that can be used when needed). Simply moving the body posture allows sensors to read the user’s intention and start moving in the desired direction, or stop moving, or remain stationary.
Because of its design the Honda machine looks a bit like a wheelchair, at least as far as the position of the humans using it is concerned. But that’s only a trick, as the device has two settings for the seat.
When set to low, the seat allows contact at eye level with other seated people or with children standing up. In this configuration the Uni-One can be controlled with the aforementioned joystick.
When set to high, however, the seat brings the user’s eye to the same level as a standing person and allows its movements to be controlled through the postural changes we talked about earlier. There is a stabilization function in place to prevent the device from leaning too far.
That’s all fine and exciting, but Honda thought it was not something others hadn’t done before. So for the SXSW 2024 event taking place at the end of next week in Austin, Texas, the carmaker prepared something a tad more exciting.
In a nutshell, it essentially combined the capabilities of the Uni-One with virtual reality to create an experience unlike any other. This type of “all-new entertainment” basically transforms the mobility device into a vehicle you can use to move in the real world, while your self is immersed in simulated realities.
The way the concept works is pretty simple: you just take a seat in the Uni-One, put on a pair of VR goggles, and off you go to experience VR adventures like floating in the sky or gliding along a half-pipe path. All while your body perfectly matches the VR movements with the help of the fancy chair.
Honda says it has been testing the concept for a while now in several locations in Japan, including at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi, Tochigi, at the Suzuka Circuit Park in Suzuka, Mie, and at the Gotemba Premium Outlets in Gotemba, Shizuo. At Suzuka it even went as far as to create a VR game for the system to be properly experienced.
The first appearance on U.S. soil of the Uni-One and the VR system that accompanies it is meant to prove the carmaker is serious about this, and has plans to sell the thing stateside. It’s unclear when that will happen, though.
Honda sees tons of possible uses for the chair, especially at theme parks, entertainment locations, and even retail spaces across the country. As for applications, the Uni-One could be used as support for racing games.
SXSW 2024 kicks off in the capital of Texas on March 8, at the Austin Convention Center, and lasts for a whole week. Honda’s booth at the event, where the Uni-One and its VR add-on can be experienced, is called Honda XR Mobility Experience.
Depending on what you plan on doing at the event, getting into the Convention Center will cost you anywhere from $945 for access to music events alone to $1,990 for the right to get in at all the wonderful things taking place there, including music, film, and interactive experiences.