In the current prototype form, it certainly does not appear able to take the place of a segway for personal transportation, especially considering speed, distance, carrying ability, and maneuverability. The issue that immediately comes to my mind concerns what abilities it has to stop and turn quickly, evasively, or accurately.
A few excerpts from the internet :
The Uni-Cub can achieve a top speed of 10kmph, but unfortunately the prototype device only has a battery life of one hour. Honda foresees the Uni-Cub being used in places like shopping malls and exhibition halls to get from one end to the other quickly.
The amazing thing about the Uni-Cub is its ability to balance. Powered up, it twitches right and left ever so slightly to stay upright. Sit down, and you feel like you’re in an office chair mounted to a unicycle. To move forward or slide left and right, simply lean in the desired direction. Alternatively, you can move the Uni-Cub forward using the joystick, which also controls your rotation. It’s a lot harder to use than it sounds. The Uni-Cub moves in the general direction you lean, but minor inputs can quickly turn into more sideways or diagonal motion than intended. It’s easy to start slipping sideways or diagonally when all you want is a small course correction.
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