Culture
In the Future, We Will All Scoot Around on Robotic Stools
That's the vision of Honda, anyway, which has invented a Segway-like pedestal for personal mobility.
What is making this woman so happy? No doubt it's the thought she'll never again have to walk to the fridge or bathroom, thanks to the robot that's holding up her rump like a craven, malformed cousin of WALL-E:
The device is called a UNI-CUB, and Honda is marketing it as the mobility scooter of the future. The electric vehicle has no accelerator or steering wheel; riders control it by leaning back and forth and sideways much like a Segway. It's meant for zipping around populated indoor areas like offices and warehouses, although the more adventurous types could take it for a spin on the sidewalk (just don't try cruising the highway without first reviewing your will).