Honda has developed a self-balancing technology for motorbikes that keeps them upright. The system, which is still in the prototype stage, could reduce the number of motorcycle accidents in slow-moving traffic.
Called Riding Assist, it involved the bike making tiny adjustments of its front wheel, moving back and forth sometimes almost imperceptibly, to keep the bike balanced.
Balancing on two wheels isn’t new. Companies like Japan’s Murata Manufacturing and others have made small two-wheeled robots that can balance, but they rely on a gyroscope. Honda’s technology doesn’t, which makes it a step more advanced than others.
Honda said it avoided using gyroscopes because they add weight to the bike and alter the riding experience.
At CES in Las Vegas, the company demonstrated a bike with the system. The bike was remotely controlled and drove itself out onto the center of the Honda booth without a rider and without falling over.
