Honda's 'prolonged actuality' is a mixture of VR and motorized wheelchair

Honda introduced a brand new “prolonged actuality” expertise that mixes digital actuality with private mobility units just like the automaker's self-balancing Uni-One wheelchair. Honda mentioned it can showcase its expertise at SXSW in Austin, Texas, subsequent month.

It goals to “elevate” the VR expertise, which is essentially static and restricted to a single location, by combining it with Honda's Segway-like Uni-One mobility system that reacts to the person's actions. On this approach, Honda can simulate racing by an intense unique panorama. The system is hands-free, giving customers the liberty to make use of their higher physique to reinforce the VR expertise.

The Uni-One will be raised to a “excessive place” seat peak of 27.6 inches, the place the person is close to eye stage with standing individuals. Whereas sitting, they’ll transfer ahead, backward, diagonally, or sideways by tilting their physique within the course they wish to go and shifting their weight. Within the “decrease place”, the person is extra on the stage of seated individuals or young children and might transfer in any course by steering with the joystick.

Simply to be clear: the expertise is for leisure and isn’t essentially for individuals who are disabled or have mobility challenges. In its launch, Honda makes no point out of individuals with disabilities.

Honda says the prolonged actuality (XR) expertise could possibly be ultimate for malls, theme parks or different indoor or out of doors leisure services – so long as they’ve loads of obstruction-free area.

The Uni-One, which is able to make its debut at this yr's SXSW, relies on Honda's Uni-Dice system, which was first launched in 2012. The unicycle-like automobile was designed to be tall sufficient for individuals to sit down in it. Be at eye stage with standing companions.

By comparability, the Uni-One weighs 154 kilos and might journey at a sooner pace of three.7 mph. The chair's replaceable lithium-ion battery can ship a spread of as much as 5 miles whereas touring at a pace of two.5 mph. And its most weight capability is 242 kilos.

Whether or not one thing as distinctive as Honda's XR expertise will ever catch on is anybody's guess. Purchasing malls definitely have their fair proportion of low-quality VR cubicles, however most of them are stationary or require the person to sit down in a confined area. Honda is asking them to be ready to create a form of indoor curler rink to permit their Uni-One chairs to maneuver freely.

Will it flip right into a low-speed demolition derby, with a bunch of goggle-wearing racers crashing into one another at 2 mph? or would it not be extra like prepared participant one The state of affairs the place everybody will get their very own private treadmill? Both approach, the long run is trying fairly foolish.