Honda is taking virtual reality mobile. Set to debut at SXSW 2024, the Honda XR Mobility Experience combines VR headsets with the automaker’s Uni-One “personal mobility device.”
First shown in 2023 in Japan, the Uni-One is like a more comfortable Segway. It’s self-balancing and has two ride heights. At its lower height, which puts the user roughly at eye level with seated people, it’s controlled via a joystick. But raise it up to the taller ride height, and users can move the Uni-One in all directions or turn around hands-free simply by shifting their weight.
Power comes from what the company calls the Honda Omni Traction (HOT) drive system. Two wheels provide driving force, while motors read onboard sensors to determine the desired direction of travel based on the user’s posture. Four unpowered auxiliary wheels help stabilize the chair when it’s in its low position. The 154-pound Uni-One has a top speed of 3.7 mph but achieves its maximum range of five miles at a steady 2.5 mph.
Honda thinks the Uni-One could be a fun toy for use at entertainment venues. In one 2023 demonstration at Japan’s Suzuka racetrack, the automaker paired the Uni-One with augmented reality tech, having users navigate through scenes displayed on a tablet. Now, it’s ditching the tablet and letting users go completely hands-free with the XR Mobility Experience.
SXSW attendees will have the opportunity to strap into a Uni-One, put on a VR headset, and either experience “the peaceful experience of floating in the sky or the exhilarating feeling of gliding along a half-pipe path,” according to a Honda press release. The experience may prove exhilarating, but there’s no accounting for how users will look doing it.
Honda claims to be working toward U.S. commercialization of the XR Mobility Experience or something similar. The automaker believes it would be a good fit for venues with large, uncluttered spaces, such as theme parks or even shopping malls, where users could, for example, play racing games in which they navigate a course in Uni-Ones.
Honda has always been particularly interested in forms of mobility beyond cars. It started out making motorcycles and now manufactures everything from lawn mowers to private jets. A device like the Uni-One certainly fits that philosophy, although vehicles like Honda’s forthcoming line of EVs will likely remain the company’s core business.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.