Honda’s Self-Balancing Motorbike Never Falls Over
The Honda Riding Assist is an autonomous motorcycle concept featuring self-balancing capabilities to keep it from falling over.
The engineer behind the Honda Riding Assist is Makoto Araki. The concept showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 in Las Vegas. For those who may be unfamiliar with the show, it is the world’s largest consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow.
The Honda Riding Assist motorcycle won three top awards at CES. It was honored with The Best of CES 2017 “Best Innovation” and “Best Automotive Technology” awards. It also earned Popular Mechanic magazine’s Best of CES “Editor’s Choice Award.”
At @CES Honda unveiled its Riding Assist #technology, which greatly reduces the possibility of falling over while a motorcycle is at rest. pic.twitter.com/lySnJREhcJ
— Honda in America (@HondaInAmerica) February 6, 2017
Honda’s official press release explained:
"“In a global debut at CES, we unveiled the Honda Riding Assist motorcycle, which leverages our robotics technology to create a self-balancing motorcycle that greatly reduces the possibility of failing over while the motorcycle is at rest.Rather than relying on gyroscopes, which add a great deal of weight and alter the riding experience, the Honda Riding Assist motorcycle incorporates technology originally developed for the company’s UNI-CUB personal mobility device. Honda Riding Assist, as part of the Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem, is our proposal to make touring and everyday use of motorcycle more fun.”"
More from Car News
- The Ford F150 Lightning Sort Of Makes Sense, Here’s Why
- Will We See A Mainstream Tesla Roadster Anytime Soon?
- Is This What the New Honda Prelude Will Look Like?
- Subaru to Debut WRX TR at 2024 Florida SubieFest
- Mercedes-Benz Releases Second Generation AMG GT Coupe
The Honda Riding Assist is an electric vehicle that has a low center-of-gravity and a very low seat height. For anyone who rides or has ever riden a motorcycle, the concept of it deciding how far you can lean seems pretty counterproductive. Honda’s innovative balancing technology, which is reportedly derived from humanoid robot research, will only balance the bike “at very low speeds.” After all, speeds between 2 and 3 mph prove to be very difficult when trying to keep a bike upright.
The Japanese automaker has not yet said if or when it will go into production. At this moment, we also do not have any information or specs regarding the electric powertrain. According to AutoBlog, the under-seat electric motor is likely to sit above the battery and cooled by a rear-mounted radiator. Charging is to take place via a port that is located on the left side of the motorbike. A driveshaft in the single-sided swing arm will be responsible for getting the rear wheel to turn.
Next: Motorcyclist Sues General Motors Over Crash With Self-Driving Car
Check out the official video posted by Honda below. It’s certainly exciting to see how far technology has come, especially in the motoring world.
What do you think about this concept? Is it helpful and would you be interested in it? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.