Honda’s new motorcycle can drive itself

In other driverless vehicle news, Honda unveiled a motorcycle that can balance and convey itself without a person manning the handlebars. Supported by a new technology called Moto Riding Assist, the bike, which made its global debut at CES in Las Vegas last week, incorporates technology originally developed for its UNI-CUB personal mobility device, a small stool-like vehicle whose closest relative is the Segway.

Leveraging Honda’s robotics technology (and eliminating the reliance on gyroscopes, which are heavy and difficult to operate), Moto Riding assist greatly reduces the possibility of the bike falling over when at rest, which in turn could reduce the number of accidents and improve drivability.

When the bike is traveling below three miles per hour, a digital system disengages the handlebar from the front forks and takes over. And if the bike starts to lean, the system will adjust the wheel to counteract it while also lowering its center of gravity. Take a look at the video below.

Via: Dezeen