Honda invented an one wheeled mobility concept. It is called the U3-X. I wonder how long it will take until they are all around the world.
Motors are for weaklings.
But an omniwheel on a human-powered uni would be a fancy idea…
with breakable resp. lockable, but passive sidewards castors for strafing.
Get some speed, turn your uni by 90° while unlocking the castors and drift…
I’m getting visions of the people in the movie Wall-E
It’s worse than you think.
Toyota debuted a new “mobility” feature at this year’s auto show. You don’t have to step into or out of the car anymore. The seat gets out of the car for you.
It won’t take very long until the seat gets out of the car and wheels you straight inside, into the living room, and in front of the TV.
The only practical use for this device that I can see would be for someone like my 90 year old grandmother who uses a walker and refuses a wheelchair due to it’s ungainly size.
These two girls modeling the device? They need to keep walking to maintain that “golden shower of the month” look they’re going for.
Nimbus needs to license this one
When they get the off road version my wife can go riding with me.
just another thing to make americans fatter and lazier…wasn’t the segway enough? 
Look how many people got injured/killed on that thing. 
it’s not so bad for older or disabled people!
Enough for what? I haven’t noticed much of a change there, except maybe for some security guards. So far the “revolution” we were promised is yet to occur. One of the things that’s resulted from the advent of the Segway are four (or more)-wheeled copies. At half the price, the airport can buy twice as many of them. The value of balancing on two wheels is hard to quantify on a balance sheet. (Meanwhile, I’m currently at the Phoenix airport, where I saw a pair of airport cops riding mountain bikes right through the terminal–at least they’re getting some exercise!)
Compared to what? You show me anything that moves, and I’ll show you someone who’s figured out how to crash it. It’s not the Segway’s fault if someone rides it off a cliff. The same thing probably would have happened on a bike, a unicycle, etc. 
Enough for what? I haven’t noticed much of a change there, except maybe for some security guards. So far the “revolution” we were promised is yet to occur. One of the things that’s resulted from the advent of the Segway are four (or more)-wheeled copies. At half the price, the airport can buy twice as many of them. The value of balancing on two wheels is hard to quantify on a “balance” sheet. (Meanwhile, I’m currently at the Phoenix airport, where I saw a pair of airport cops riding mountain bikes right through the terminal–at least they’re getting some exercise!)
Compared to what? You show me anything that moves, and I’ll show you someone who’s figured out how to crash it. Including bathtubs. It’s not the Segway’s fault if someone rides it off a cliff. The same thing probably would have happened on a bike, a unicycle, etc.
And what of the future? Honda probably doesn’t have plans to market their cool balancing ball-thingy. It’s a demonstration of what’s possible with the technologies they’re working on. It’s hard to tell where things like that might lead. Like most other transportation inventions in the last 130 years or so, it’ll be hard to improve upon the bicycle for human-powered transportation at reasonable cost.
As for the future of unicycles, motorized versions are already out there, one of them commercially available. Are they the future of unicycling? Not as far as I’m concerned. Those are fascinating novelty vehicles, but provide the rider no health benefits (unless they have mobility problems), no improvement on their self-esteem, and none of that other learning development you get from mastering a difficult set of skills.
ive been waiting for an up date one the gilby auto balence unicycle for years
as soon as it can handle a unispin, let me know
Could that be a good “learning aid” for learning to ride the uni in the sense that it gives you the opportunity to learn the importance of body-posture in balancing on one-wheel?
Thoughts?
Besides the U3-X is only a prototype and i doubt the real thing will come into production. 
I think thats a rediculous idea.
However much this thing would cost, it would likely cost many times as much as a decent unicycle. Buying something expensive in order to help learn something thats cheap? thats just silly.
Also, when it comes down to it. Unicycles are just not that damn hard to learn. Anyone with determination and an hour or two spare time a day can learn to ride a unicycle around his/her block in less than a fortnight. The only aid a person needs to learn how to ride is something to hold onto while you mount before you can freemount
Spoken like someone who’s learnt to ride.
I’m talking about people who might want to have a glimpse at what it feels like to ride a unicycle.
There’s never been an opportunity for anybody to experience even ‘some’ of the sensation of riding a uni without actually learning.
Probably not, as it will still balance you regardless of your posture. The beautiful models already had the posture thing down before they got on those. Also, when you eliminate the pedaling part, it makes a major change in the sensation and movements required to ride a “regular” unicycle. See the recent thread where the guy talks about learning to ride the Self-Balancing Unicycle. His major difficulties seemed to stem from getting used to having his feet/lower body stationary while the thing moved.
If TCUC (Twin Cities Unicycle Club) bought one and divvied up the cost, it would be really cheap and they could use it for a tool to attract new riders. Not that this particular device is headed to market, but you get the idea.
Calling this a unicycle is like calling a Segway a bicycle.
All bicycles have two wheels, but not all two-wheeled modes of transportation are bicycles.
All unicycles have one wheel, but not all one-wheeled modes of transportation are unicycles.
EDIT: Just realized some unicycles have multiple wheels… but you know what I’m sayin’.
Generally we think of it as unicycles having only one wheel on the ground.
But this thing doesn’t have a conventional wheel, either. You could call it a uniball, but believe it or not, there’s already been a lawsuit over that term, between a unicycle basketball promoter and a pen company.
Possible names for this device:
- Self-Balancing Ball Wheel
- Balance Roller
- Auto Roller
- Roll-On Cycle (like roll-on deodorant)
- Uni-Ball-a-Not-Cycle?