Honda reckons its Segway-like wheelchair can deliver 'the peaceful feeling of floating in the sky' when paired with VR and isn't just for people with mobility issues

A screenshot from a YouTube video of the UNI-ONE device, with a user holding their arms out to the sides while it moves and grinning
(Image credit: Honda)

Creating technology for the purpose of helping people with disabilities is a noble goal and one where strides seem to be being made to make the world a more accessible place for all. However, Honda reckons its UNI-ONE Segway-like device isn't just for people with mobility issues, as the company has released a video showing someone having a whale of a time in one equipped with a VR headset.

In an interesting example of repurposing functional technology for entertainment purposes, the UNI-ONE, Honda's self-balancing mobility solution first demonstrated in 2023, has been pitched as a "brand new multimodal experience that takes extended reality technologies to the next level" with the addition of VR (via Gizmodo). The company will be showing off the device at SXSW, inviting attendees to ride the UNI-ONE while wearing a VR headset and shifting their body weight to steer.

According to the press release, experiences will include "the peaceful feeling of floating in the sky" or "the exhilarating feeling of gliding along a half-pipe path". 

The company envisions people enjoying the experience in indoor and outdoor "obstacle-free spaces"—which strikes as a necessity rather than an option—including theme parks, entertainment facilities, and shopping malls.

Honda also wants to collaborate with AR and VR developers to create VR experiences that make use of UNI-ONE's free-flowing movement, and in the accompanying video, our intrepid test-ee certainly seems to be having a good time using a headset with the device, stretching out their arms and grinning. 

You can almost hear the "wheeeee" as they glide around the (noticeably obstacle-free and spacious) test room.

YouTube YouTube
Watch On

Well, who's to deny that it does look fun? However, the UNI-ONE does have a serious intended purpose beyond its entertainment possibilities and makes use of some impressive technology to achieve it. 

Once a user has strapped themselves into the seat, the device lifts itself off of the ground onto two self-balancing motorised wheels that Honda calls its "Honda Omni Traction Drive System", which then allows smooth and multi-directional movement.

Virtual reality

(Image credit: Valve)

Best VR headset: which kit should you choose?
Best graphics card: you need serious GPU power for VR
Best gaming laptop: don't get tied to your desktop in VR

The device also features an adjustable motorised seat that can be raised to a higher position to allow users to be closer to the eye level of someone standing and can be turned with the shifting of body weight. A joystick is also provided for additional movement control, and it can achieve a maximum speed of 3.7 miles per hour.

While its functional usage as a mobility device is still the primary goal, pivoting it around to an entertainment device is certainly an interesting if perhaps impractical use-case for the tech, although judging by the grinning reaction of our test subject it does seem like it could also provide a novel entertainment experience at the very least. Let's just hope the booth attendants at SXSW are on the lookout for passing pedestrians, I suppose, or those pesky obstacles.

Andy Edser
Hardware Writer

Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't—and he hasn't stopped since. Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy's been jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything.

Read more
A photo of a gaming laptop's screen, displaying the control panel for Razer's Sensa HD Haptics system
I honestly thought Razer's Sensa haptics stuff was just a gimmick until I tried it with a sim racing setup, and now I'm absolutely sold
A "sensor-actuator–coupled gustatory interface chemically connecting virtual and real environments for remote tasting," or essentially a virtual reality tongue in an artificial mouth
Would you like to taste fish soup in VR? Me neither, but this electronic tongue does it anyway
A still from a YouTube video showing The Swedish Maker cutting a piece of wood with power tools while wearing a Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
YouTuber The Swedish Maker wears a Meta Quest 3 VR headset for his entire woodworking project and miraculously emerges with all fingers intact
Nitro Concepts CES 2025 booth with a sim racing rig that offered wind simulation from twin fans near the wheelbase.
I tried a sim racing rig that generates 'wind' at CES 2025 and it's claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay
A Meta Quest 3S, alongside a Quest 3 and Quest 2, on a stack of PC Gamer magazine.
I'm still waiting for a high-end VR headset good enough to make me ditch my Quest 3
A obstacle course in space.
The high-rise adventure SickWay VR is now available on Steam with a limited-time 10% discount
Latest in VR Hardware
Varjo Aero
Nvidia confirms 'open issue' with Varjo Aero VR headsets and RTX 50-series graphics cards after affected users ask for help
A "sensor-actuator–coupled gustatory interface chemically connecting virtual and real environments for remote tasting," or essentially a virtual reality tongue in an artificial mouth
Would you like to taste fish soup in VR? Me neither, but this electronic tongue does it anyway
Varjo Aero
Varjo Aero VR headsets seem to be not working on RTX 5090s, and its community is opting for strange solutions while waiting for an Nvidia driver release to fix it
A still from a YouTube video showing The Swedish Maker cutting a piece of wood with power tools while wearing a Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
YouTuber The Swedish Maker wears a Meta Quest 3 VR headset for his entire woodworking project and miraculously emerges with all fingers intact
The HTC Vive XR Elite front three quarter angle
Google is bulk buying HTC Vive engineers to help Android XR become a platform that can rival Meta's VR/AR dominance
Meta Horizon OS on a box.
The upcoming Asus VR project is rumoured to have eye and face tracking, yet the thing I'm most excited about is its OS
Latest in News
gta 6 trailer
Publishers 'don't want to be anywhere near' Grand Theft Auto 6 when it launches: 'It's proving to be very stressful'
Microsoft's iconic Bliss wallpaper
From pixels to pinot: The Windows XP 'Bliss' wallpaper hill was real and this is what it looks like now
A female Zoi making two hearts with her fingers.
Following 24 hours of Denuvo-based backlash, Inzoi is taking a surprising step and removing it entirely: 'We want to sincerely apologise for not aligning more closely with player expectations'
An image of a Helldiver from Helldivers 2 shooting at a red dragon from Dungeons & Dragons.
'Ok, so dragon builds are a thing now': galaxy-brained Helldivers 2 player incinerates a bile titan with a hover pack and a flamethrower
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Assassin's Creed Shadows promo image
Ubisoft scores a legendary ratio against Elon Musk on his own platform—which hopefully marks a final end to all the Assassin's Creed Shadows' culture war nonsense