Honda Rolls Out ‘Extended-Reality’ Wheelchair Meant For All (Disabled Or Not)

Image via Honda / PR Newswire

Forget the rollerblades and ditch the Segway—Honda’s rolling in a whole new meaning to taking the wheel with the UNI-ONE, a hands-free, electric mobility device that bridges the real world with virtual-reality adventures. The experience comes to life at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024, where it will make its first global debut outside Japan.

Helping you tangibly cruise around from point A to B in the digital realm, this “extended-reality” (XR) contraption enables you to, say, glide through a serene virtual sky while feeling gentle sways, or experience the adrenaline rush of riding down a ramp as you lean and shift your weight.

Image via Honda / PR Newswire

Unlike a traditional wheelchair, this high-tech, self-balancing scooter can be positioned to maintain eye level with others while you move. The key lies in its intuitive design: lean forward to go, lean back to stop, and shift your weight to steer in any direction. There’s even a joystick option for added control.

It wouldn’t sit right, for the lack of a better phrase, for the automaker to develop a wheelchair without taking actual wheelchair users into consideration. While its latest press release leaves no mention of the disabled community, the official Honda website does state that the UNI-ONE is designed for a wide range of users, including “people with disabilities and the elderly.”

The company says a version of the UNI-ONE that supports people with lower limb challenges, but can still maintain a sitting posture, is “underway.”

Honda envisions a future where the UNI-ONE is all-in-one, enhancing theme park experiences, empowering individuals with mobility challenges in their daily activities, and even adding a playful twist to XR gaming.

Image via Honda

Those ready for a first spin can check out the Honda XR Mobility Experience booth at SXSW from March 10 to 13.

[via Honda / PR Newswire, images via Honda]