Honda Uni-One XRAutomobile company Honda has developed a hands-free wheelchair which can be combined with virtual reality (VR) for an immersive entertainment experience for users.

Honda recently debuted its Uni-One personal mobility device with virtual reality (VR) gaming as part of an interactive experience for participants at the recent South By Southwest (SWSW) festival in Texas, an annual American festival which celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film and television, and music industries.

Users got the chance to choose their own VR adventure aboard something it calls ‘XR’ – extended reality. Once the user is strapped in with their headset on they are able to chase experience points in various simulated environments. Honda has stated that its plan is to commercialise the whole package in ‘obstacle-free spaces’ like theme parks and shopping malls, where players can compete in racing games.

Honda’s Hirokazu Hara, Vice President of New Business Development, commented: “With the Honda XR Mobility Experience, we are expanding the joy and freedom of personal mobility into entertainment applications. By combining the unique, physical experience of riding the Honda Uni-One with a highly immersive digital entertainment, Honda is creating a brand new multimodal experience that takes extended reality technologies to the next level.”

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Launched in 2023, the two-wheel Uni-One chair offers an eye level close to that of standing people and is designed to be used not only by people with disabilities and the elderly but those who are not physically impaired.

It works by enabling the user to steer simply by shifting their body weight while sitting, keeping both hands free to move naturally in all directions as if they were walking,

Two drive wheels and advanced control technology ensure stable movement and preventing the device from tipping over as much as possible by automatically shifting into the ‘low position’ when a possible fall is predicted. While in the low position, the Uni-One can be steered by the joystick. Like a Segway, the battery-operated device can be steered by users as they shift their body weight.

Honda Robotics, which developed the chair, states that its goal is the “expansion of the physical functions for people.” Based on this concept, it states that the Uni-One offers new value to its customers by “enabling them to enjoy mobility without being constrained by their physical capabilities and/or skills.”

The Uni-One is an iteration of the unicycle-like Uni-Cub beta first launched in 2013. The difference with the Uni-One is that its seat moves up and down. It also has a maximum speed of 3.7mph and an electric range of five miles.

Shinichiro Kobashi, Chief Engineer at Honda, commented: “It is a mobility device that enables the user to steer by simply shifting their centre of gravity while sitting, allowing them to move naturally in all directions as if they were walking. Our goal was to create a vehicle that allows the user to move in a manner similar to walking and is suitable for use in crowded spaces.”

Another automotive titan to make waves in the mobility industry recently is Toyota, which has developed Accessible People Movers (APMs) and wheelchair e-pullers to be used during the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. These will ensure that athletes and their families, staff, volunteers, and spectators can move around freely, sustainably and safely.

 View the extended reality mobility experience with the Uni-One in the video below:

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