• December 31, 2007

There's something paradoxical about a Rose Bowl Parade float as a platform for a message about high technology. After all, the floats are made of flowers and seeds.

But Honda is using its rolling botanical barge to tout its trucks and robots. On Honda's float--"Passport to the Future," made of strawflower, flax seed and roses--a representation of the Honda Ridgeline truck will rise from the bed of the float in a cloud of mist, become an airborne rocket-like vehicle, and "blast off" with a replica of Honda's ASIMO robot at the wheel.

The hood of the truck will fold forward to become an aircraft cockpit, the doors and sides of the truck will unfold outward to become wings, the wheels will tuck under the body, and the bed of the truck will open and take on the form of an aircraft tail section, complete with rocket engines--and real fire.

--Karl Greenberg