Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweig

[TheOtherDave™]

Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, Honda, Tokyo Motor Show, First Drive Jim Kenzie of the Toronto Star tries out the U3-X - click above for high res-image gallery If there is one thing people love, it's personal mobility. After all, what other species regularly harness other creatures for the sole purpose of getting around. The auto industry is all about personal mobility. Since the dawn of the car in the late 19th century, it has been adopted world-wide as one of the preferred means of getting around. Mobility, of course, is about a lot more than just driving. Just moving around is important and when people find themselves unable to move or having difficulty, It plays havoc with the psyche. As populations in many countries get older, reduced mobility is an increasing problem. A number of automakers are researching ways to expand mobility beyond the automobile and the result is projects like GM's Puma and Toyota's Winglet. Honda, too, is studying the problem and while we were in Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda took us to their R&D center to check out a few of their recent projects. Read on for a first hand account of what we saw. Gallery: Honda mobility devices Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweight assist devices Tokyo 2009: We sample Honda's quirky U3-X, stride management assist and bodyweight assist devices originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments More...

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