Productivity app Evernote today is announcing that it is teaming up with Honda and the Japanese carrier Docomo to launch the Evernote Accelerator, a month-long mentorship program based at Evernote’s HQ in Redwood City for developers and small startups from around the world that are making apps using Evernote’s APIs. The move is a step ahead for Evernote in its strategy to build out its business… → Read More
Honda caused quite a splash a while back with the introduction of the U3-X, a personal mobility robot that’s basically a motorized unicycle (and that our own John Biggs was “impressed” with after taking it for a test drive last year). And now, at the Tokyo Motor Show 2011, Honda took the wraps of a pretty similar robot, the so-called Uni-Cub.
In fact, Honda says it has been working on mobility… → Read More
Honda has been very silent about Asimo, its super-advanced humanoid robot, in recent years. After introducing the first version in 2000, Honda showed several versions through 2005, until the company finally took the wraps off a new version earlier today in Tokyo. This model is the thinnest, fastest, and most “intelligent” Asimo yet.
At 48kg, the Asimo that was shown today is 6kg lighter than… → Read More
America’s first pipeline-fed, retail hydrogen fueling station opened in Torrance, California, within Los Angeles county on Tuesday. The station will provide hydrogen for fuel cell and hybrid vehicles in the area. It was built through a joint effort by Toyota, Air Products and Shell alternative energies, with funding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the U.S. → Read More
Honda Japan today said [press release in English] that it will start lease sales of its new electric motorcycle, the so-called EV-neo on December 24. The 50cc scooters are primarily aimed at delivery services or individual businesses, 100 of which will have the chance to test the vehicle until March 2011. General sales will then start in April next year. → Read More
We heard a little while back that Honda was beginning to go public with its new hybrid and EV line for 2012, and sure enough, today at the LA Auto Show they unveiled the concept electric Fit. It doesn’t sound particularly original, and the Leaf and Volt will be beating it to market by a year, but hey, the more the merrier.
Here are some basic stats and facts. → Read More
Honda isn’t exactly the first Japanese car company that comes to mind when thinking about hybrids. Toyota, thanks to its Prius and hybrid Lexus line-up, won the general populus a few years back, but Honda is set to make another run with the third generation of Honda Civic Hybrids along with a new line of electric vehicles.
These new lines should start hitting streets in both Japan and the US… → Read More
Mind-reading devices are nothing really new, but Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) apparently sees a huge potential for that market in the near future. The MIC will join forces with selected private tech companies to develop and commercialize robots and consumer electronics that can be controlled through thought. The project kicks off this fiscal year and is supposed… → Read More
Remember Tsutenkaku, “the world’s biggest” robot? Tsutenkaku, basically a 170cm tall robot that looks like a city tower, recently made the journey from Osaka (where he was made and is supposed to attract tourists) from Tokyo. Needless to say, he first went to Akihabara, Tokyo’s robot geek paradise, and while he was there, Tsutenkaku met Honda’s famous humanoid Asimo, too.
Tsutenkaku looks weird… → Read More
While we mostly cover electric bicycles and the occasional electric car, there are surely some people waiting for a decent electric motorbike, too. Honda has now announced an e-scooter, and it looks their model, the EV-neo, is quite decent. → Read More
Remember the U3-X Mobility Robot from Honda we blogged about last year? Well, the auto-unicycle is still a prototype, but Honda has just released a new (and pretty interesting) promo video on its official YouTube channel. The company says the U3-X can run continuously for one hour on a single (lithium-ion) battery charge and can be recharged via a conventional 120-volt power outlet. → Read More
Honda’s Asimo is probably the world’s most famous humanoid robot. The company today leaked the first technical details and pictures of the fourth version of Asimo, the P4. And the new and improved Asimo, which took 13 years for Honda to develop (P3 was unveiled in 1997), looks much more elegant and human astronaut-like than the previous models. → Read More
Couple of things to talk about, Honda just announced that they are going to show off an electric concept vehicle, and a Hungarian company is making a concept car that’s capable of splitting in to two separate vehicles. → Read More
Bicycle safety wasn’t an issue for me growing up. I lived in a quiet suburban subdivision on a cul-de-sac. Plus, my mom is an insurance agent and so she made sure that I always had the latest safety equipment. (E.g. shin pads, wrist pads, elbow pads, helmet, gloves, and a cup) It’s a damn good thing that Honda didn’t make this bicycle simulator back in the Eighties. She would have shipped the… → Read More
If the pictures of Honda’s little peanut-shaped mobility device weren’t enough for you, well, now you can see it in motion. This demonstration at the Tokyo Motor Show has a rather smug-looking presenter zipping it all over the stage, and not falling down once. I have to say, he looks a little unsure as to what to do with your hands. I’d like to think that if I were in his position, I wouldn’t… → Read More
This, according to Honda, is the future of personal mobility. (In the future, walking will be seen as passe and uncool.) It’s called the U3-X, and it just debuted in Tokyo. It’s sorta like a Segway, but a little less cumbersome (but just as unusual looking to the layman). → Read More
Ready for more hybrid vehicles? Sure, why not, right? Honda is set to release two new hybrid vehicles next year: the CR-Z and Fit/Jazz. Both should come equipped with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system and further demonstrates that hybrid technology will soon be a standard option on most vehicles. There isn’t anything real exciting about either of these two new cars besides… → Read More
As I mentioned earlier, Honda is in town to demo their two walking assist devices for the first time in the US. I was given the opportunity to test both models out in midtown Manhattan this afternoon. The applications for both models are pretty obvious and Honda has been testing the Bodyweight Support Assist at their Saitama factory since November of last year.
Update: The entire presentation… → Read More
We’ve covered Honda’s walking assist devices pretty extensively in the past, but we’ve never had the opportunity to see them in person until now. Hopefully we get that chance next week when Honda demos two prototype devices in Detroit at the 2009 Society of Automtoive Engineers World Congress. Actually, we’re trying out the W.A.D. right now and we’ll have video later today!
With over… → Read More
Honda today announced a “brain machine interface” (press release in English), which makes it possible for human beings to control robots by thought and does away with all the button pressing and joystick holding that usually gets on our nerves when we control our robots. The technology was developed jointly with Japanese tech company Shimadzu and Tokyo-based research institute ATR. → Read More
Honda’s ASIMO has conducted an orchestra and even served cocktails. Now Honda has added a 360° look at the technology in ASIMO that lets him do all of that. You can see it here. → Read More
The latest Honda Insight goes on sale tomorrow. We spied the inexpensive hybrid at the North American International Auto Show and liked what we saw. Unfortunately, the sales are limited to Japan for the time being, but eventually American ecofreaks will be able to prance with unicorns too. → Read More
Honda recently unveiled the second generation Honda Insight and we spend sometime with the Prius-look alike. The interior has a futuristic look that you know was done on a budget thanks to the cheap plastic. The dash cluster is not only fun, but functional, with the tach center located and the speedo housed alone above the main instruments. The radio and HVAC controls continues the plastic and… → Read More
There was a time when winning races on Sunday meant sales on Monday, but the general populous might have moved from that mentality as the race cars drifted farther from production models. Honda is the latest in a long line of car manufacturers to refocus into developing economic cars and withdrew from Formula One racing today – totally. → Read More
How in the hell does Honda expect people to choose the Insight over the Prius if they can’t tell the difference between the things? Honestly, it looks like the grille and headlights are the only difference between these two eco-cars. Not only that, but they’re similarly spec’ed and get identical mileage. Are they trying to pull something over on us here? And didn’t I just… → Read More
Honda has developed an ecological drive assist system [JP], which will be used in a new Insight hybrid model that is scheduled for release next spring in Japan. The system is based on three different functions: → Read More
It’s a choice that most people "who are capable of walking and maneuvering on their own, but who can benefit from additional leg and body support while performing tasks” face every morning. What’s more important to me today, reducing the load on my leg muscles or not supporting my body weight almost entirely by my balls? → Read More
Tokyo-based YP Systems [JP] has developed the world’s first CO2 fire extinguisher that triples as a glass breaker and a belt cutter. The device is just 19.5cm long and weighs 370g. Made specifically for use during emergency situations in vehicles, the so-called Shobo Rescue’s fire extinguishing function is kept very simple (pulling a security pin is enough). YP Systems used food… → Read More
Honda is demoing a GPS-based warning system to help keep motorcycle riders safe from cars at the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium event in Germany today. The system built by Honda works with 8 other vehicle manufacturers that relay messages between motorcycles and cars with information like direction and position. Said information will be fed to riders through a HUD and in-helmet audio. Drivers… → Read More
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