Toyota's radical iReal has been described as Apple's vision of a wheelchair and could be on sale in Japan within "four to five years", its project manager, Makoto Morita, says.
With a top speed of 30km/h and the ability to lower its centre of gravity and lean into corners, the three-wheeled iReal would cost "between the price of a bike and a small car". Honda's U3-X unicycle is just 65 centimetres high and looks like a futuristic pogo stick designed by Dyson. In place of a seat, it has a pair of pads to support the buttocks. In common with the Segway and Honda's Asimo robot, which can shake hands, walk up stairs and even run, the U3-X has balance technology: the pedal on each side not only supports the rider's feet but also monitors changes in weight distribution. Lean on one pedal and the unicycle counterbalances and steers in that direction. Honda says: "The compact one-wheel structure of the U3-X puts the rider at approximately the same height as when walking and allows motion in every direction . without the need to turn the vehicle. Incorporating balance technology from the Asimo bipedal humanoid robot, the U3-X maintains an upright position by imitating human walking, in which a person tends to step into the direction of a fall to retain balance." Suzuki is taking the personal mobility concept further by introducing a zero-emission electric wheelchair. The Fuel Cell Senior Car uses a methanol mix, carried in a tank under the seat, to generate electricity through a fuel cell to power the vehicle's electric motor. Suzuki says the wheelchair has a range of 60 kilometres at an average speed of 6km/h. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
