The world's first electric unicycle

Final mention of my trip to Japan, I promise. The U3-X (above) sounds more like a missile than anything else, but it’s actually very clever ‘personal mobility’ technology. It’s the world’s first electric unicycle and is the brainchild of the Honda engineers who don’t do cars and bikes. You sit on it, lift your feet up and lean in the direction you want to go at up to 4mph. Is this a Sinclair C5 for a new generation? We’ll never know as it’s not for sale, but Honda’s boffins say the multi-direction wheel set-up underneath could ultimately have automotive applications, such as improving a car’s manoeuvrability when parking. And what about a motorbike that never falls over? Don’t laugh, one Honda engineer told me the firm is investigating the possibility. Check out me and the U3-X in action, below.