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■單輪車靜止時可垂直不倒，使用者可視它為凳子般坐下去。資料圖片
日本本田公司新出的「個人移動」裝置就如一部單輪車，使用者只需改變身體的重心，便可隨心所欲轉向。
本田指出，U3-X細小、安全且不顯眼，可以在人多的地方使用。
U3-X的U是代表Unicycle(單輪車)和Universal(全面)，其車輪內藏多個摩打推動的小輪，讓裝置能向不同方向轉動。
單輪車靜止時可垂直不倒，使用者可視它為凳子般坐下去，再移動身體重心駕駛。單輪車可以自動平衡，最高時速6公里。
本田社長伊東孝紳表示﹕「裝置仍然是個建議，暫時未有銷售、訂價和實際應用的計劃。」
本田拒絕透露U3-X內含的技術，僅指出單輪車重量不足10公斤，鋰電池完全充電後可運作1小時。
伊東稱﹕「我或者會在家中使用，這樣出入都很方便，如果我的腿部不聽話時，我會真的用上它。」
使用U3-X還要適應一段時間，對於一名1.53米高的記者來說，真的有點大，坐下來和操控都有點困難。
雖然本田稱這裝置是為長者而設，但長者應用時能否協調身體仍是未知數。
日本是全球人口老化最快的國家之一，越來越多人關注長者的行動問題。去年本田公布一個可支撐身體的機械裝置，使用者需要將裝置配合鞋上使用。
伊東表示﹕「本田的工程師時常思考人們對行動方面的夢想和理想，本田會繼續努力，成為這個範疇的領袖。」 ■綜合外電消息
Honda shows small light "personal mobility" device
Honda's new "personal mobility" device looks like a unicycle, but all you need to do to zip around on it — sideways as well as forward and back — is lean your weight into the direction you want to go.
The U3-X was designed to be small, safe and unobtrusive enough to mingle with pedestrians, according to Honda Motor Co.
The single wheel on the U3-X — U stands for "unicycle" and "universal" — is made up of many tiny motor-controlled wheels, packed inside the bigger wheel, allowing the device to swerve in any direction.
It stands upright on its own. Sit on it as though it's a stool, and shift your weight to drive. The thing maintains its own balance as it scoots along at a speed of up to 6 kilometers(3.7 miles)per hour.
Honda President Takanobu Ito said the machine was still "a proposal", and the company has no sales plans, pricing or firm ideas on where or how it will be used.
Honda declined to give details of the U3-X's technology, but said it weighs less than 10 kilograms(22 pounds), runs on a full charge for an hour, and has a lithium-ion battery. "I may want to use it in my home," Ito mused. "It'd be easier to get around so I might really use it if my legs grow weaker."
The U3-X takes a bit of getting used to. It was a bit too big for this 1.53 meter(five-feet)tall reporter, making it hard to sit on and control it well.
Although Honda said the machine is meant for the elderly, it's unclear whether they would be coordinated enough to control the device.
Japan is one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world, and concerns are growing about helping the elderly get around. Last year, Honda showed a gadget, which can support a wearer's bodyweight, made of mechanical frames attached to a pair of shoes.
"Honda engineers are always thinking about people's dreams and wishes about mobility. We will continue to work hard to be a leader in that area," Ito said. ■AP
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