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Segway Hits the Auction Block
fmita writes: "Amazon.com is auctioning off 3 Segways to the public. The proceeds are to go to a foundation started by the inventor. These are the first Segways to go to the public. Since there are only three, they sure aren't cheap." Women drool over a man on a Segway.
I still haven't figured out what happens if you should run into something that blocks the wheels, like a curb or any random piece of debris that may be lying on the road/sidewalk. Would the Segway suddenly throw you off like a high-tech mechanical bull? Should you wear a helmet on this thing?
Money for nothing, pix for free
Women drool over a man on a Segway?
..
Women drool over a man on a Segway????
is that because they're laughing so hard they can't help themselves?
Imagine some rich, lucky bastard steaming down the sidewalk in a crowded city, taking out old ladies with his 75 lb. beast and his 300 lb. fat ass. From what I remember, these initial models were more suited for mail carrying, military testing, etc.
Also, if the toy breaks, will the manufacturer repair it? Three "someones" are gonna spend a lot of scratch on these bad boys...I hope they don't fall apart right out of the chute.
--SC
You read fiction? I write it! Lemme know what you th
Remind me again, why is it better to put the wheels on the sides instead of front and back like every other scooter? Sure it is possible using 3 gyroscopes, 5 computers, etc, etc. to balace but what advantage does this give you? If there is an advantage to the wheels on the sides why not add a third trailing caster to balance the thing and get rid of the gyros and computers. This is a technical solution looking for a problem
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How about it? My bets:
- $137,550 USD
- $112,950 USD
- $114,875 USD
I'm sure there are some CEOs, well-to-do technophiles, and even speculators that would pay that kind of cash for them. Me? I'll wait a couple of years. And then I'll buy a good bike instead. : )Mr. Ska
I'm sure the training involves more than just how to hop on and go. There is probably some maintenance that must be done.
One of the things I remember reading about the Segway company is that they were developing a set of "rules of the road" for their scooters. People will start cursing the scooters if the people who use them just drive like assholes all the time and don't follow any expected rules. They probably will be tring to stress those rules on the early purchasers so the scooter itself does not get a bad reputation.
--
The internet is the greatest source of biased information in the history of mankind.
Coming soon, Segway Overclocker geek sites...
d00d, check out the blowhole in my s3g, i'm getting THIRTEEN mph...
The balancing system is generally very forgiving. If you run into a curb or some similar obstacle, it will generally stop forward movement altogether, giving you the choice to climb it or go around it.
I can't speak however for what would happen if you were barreling ahead at full speed and not watching where you are going. The Segway is not a mountain bike, so if you try to abuse it you will get the same results as when you abuse any other piece of machinery. Just as you would pay attention when using a bicycle or a car to the state of the path in front of you, you need to pay attention to what's going on in front of you on a Segway.
bun-fhuinneog agam!
My dad came up with a good point. He works in a steel mill and when they have to travel a long distance, they use 3-wheeled bicycles. Segways would be great for them, because the bikes are slow and cumbersome.
This auction thing is brilliant because
(1) The publicity is amazing. I was watching morning TV today and it was like a huge infomercial for the Segway
(2) He is getting people to pay a fortune for the privilege of beta-testing the device.
(3) By only selling three, he is taking a leaf from business mastermind Eric Cartman's book. "Only three people get to ride today." The people who bid $100,000 and LOST will gladly pay any price once a few more become available.
My only worry is this: As a teacher, I am going to have to deal with a generation of students who cannot spell "segue".
God is real unless declared integer
So, we're looking for people with more money than sense, who don't give a damn what they pay for transportation, or how effective it as, as long as it buys them something that nobody else has. Candidates?
I give up. Who's number 3?
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Well, I must say that I was quite impressed when they were first featured on TV. The Segway is a pretty cool device. And it may be usefull too, if it weren't for a few major problems.
The first one that comes to mind is its size. Imagine riding this thing during the lunch hour in a crowded downtown area (pick the city of your choice). And you obviously have to ride it on the sidewalk. But it would not be faster (if not slower) than walking, since you wouldn't be moving faster than the rest of the people. It pretty much defeats its purpose in the suburbs or in the industrial parks. There's enough room there just to hop into your car and drive where you want to get.
The second problem, as one of the previous posts mentioned, is what happens when you suddenly hit something (more likely someone). The thing might be self balancing, but I've felt what happens when one of your rollerblades gets stuck in a groove. Your body keeps moving with the same velocity, while one (if not both) feet are firmly planted in the obstacle. A split second later you find yourself lying face forward on the pavement. I see the same thing happening with the Segway.
Third, think of its battery life (I presume it is battery powered)
I think I'll stick to my bycicle for now, thank you.
- A trip to outer space in a russian rocket
- 2 tickets for the Taliban reality tour
- 100 acres of soon to be beach front property in Arizona
- Authentic area-51 paper thin like metal that can't be bent
- The elephant man's bones
- [insert porn star name here] underwear
- the red pill
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I want to be the first guy to fit a Chevy Smallblock V8 onto a Segway device...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
From the web page: "Additionally,
you shall operate your Segway(TM) HT only in accordance with the guidelines provided to you by Segway."
I guess that means no Segway/halfpipe tricks...
But what if you do, will they take it away?
How about if soneone takes it apart and posts the link to pictures on Slashdot??
Starman97@Gmail.com (bring it on spammers)
When I was working helldesk and had to travel between job sites, I had to use the company beater, when a Lamborghini Diablo would have gotten me there way faster.
In a world with unlimited money, we could have unlimited toys. In the real world, we sometimes have to use cheap, simple equipment because we're in harsh industrial climates and you need to either be able to cheaply repair or replace shit. Is an $8000 Segway really that much better than an $80 3-wheeled bike?
Easy does it!
This comment has been submitted already, 276865 hours , 59 minutes ago. No need to try again.
Perhaps you've forgotten the whole point of the steering system. Thanks to the basic setup of the device and the gyros you don't need accelerate/brake buttons -- you just lean. That can't be accomplished on a device with wheels in front and back, because it would always remain level relative to the ground in that plane.
Well, gee, I was going to bid, but I don't think I'll send $13,100 USD to someone with 0 feedback...
- In Capitalist America, law violates YOU!
Hey, if these things are selling for >= $12k right now, how about a healthy alternative?
For those who want to improve their coordination, excercise, AND still look like a fool, the POGO-STICK is the right tool for you!
No wimpy 10MPH speed limits on these babies, you can go as fast as your muscles (and the pavement) will carry you!
Act now, before anyone else makes their way to their local toy store and gets one first!
I wonder how long after it's released to the general public it will take some Slashdotter to overclock the blasted thing. Imagine facing the titanium justice of a 100Mph segway...
Just don't try to ride one of those segways away from Amazon. The Washington State Police may pull you over for riding an illegal vehicle... Washington State Patrol press release
You know, I was thinking about the gyro-stabilizer system when it occured to me, instead of a two wheel, forward-backward oriented system with differential wheel speeds for steering, how about just a SINGLE BALL?? The segway could be built upon a single, large tire-rubber ball, with an enclosure around the top 75% with rollers to keep the ball in place, and driven in TWO axis at once, sort of like an upside-down, motorized track ball? That way, instead of leaning fwd or bkwrds, you could lean in any direction you want to go toward that direction. Ok, you'd need a rotor to be able to POINT the driver platform in any of 360 degrees, but something like that should be the next evolution in these things.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
http://www.everythingisnt.com/features/segway.html
8:30am
I checked the voltmeter and it looks like it charged up nicely overnight. I haven't worn kneepads or a helmet in ages, they make me feel kind of awkward. After waving goodbye to my wife I'm off to work which is about six miles from here. I can't wait, this thing is so cool. I feel ten years younger.
8:45am
Holy shit, where did all these kids come from? I thought the district bussed them to school. I can't ride on the street because everyone keeps yelling for me to go faster and I can barely maneuver the sidewalk with all these kids. Someone just called me "Spaceman." I thought kids loved technology. Sorry to the girl I knocked over, but in all fairness I did yell, "heads up!"
9:08am
Okay I'm officially late for work now, but I did find a bike lane. What's with this town? I thought all the granola-loving bikers forced the city to put bike lanes on every street. There's maybe a mile's worth from my place to downtown. The bikers were pretty nice. One man said to the rest, "Let the dude on the rascal get through." I don't know what a rascal is, but they did let me get through.
9:19am
Holy fuck is downtown packed and no one is letting me through. The way I tip cabs around here you'd think they would let ride on the side of the lane. The doorman at my building yelled at the crowd to let the "handicapped guy" through. I was going to correct him, but they were already letting me past. I did get to ride up the handicap ramp and park in the building. Now I need an AC outlet. This trip nearly drained the battery.
9:22am
I'm not the fittest guy in the world but they need to make these things a little lighter. You drag a 70lbs Segway up the stairs and tell me how your back feels.
12:04pm
I'm taking my Ginger, I mean my Segway, to lunch. I tried to get a co-worker to ride with me, but we fell and nearly broke our necks. I hope no one tells my wife that my hand got caught up in Jane's skirt as we were trying to get up. She didn't say anything and I think she really didn't noticed. A guy on one of those old time italian scooters yelled, "yuppie" at me and disappeared into traffic. Real mature.
12:12pm
I had to ride all the way to that bike store in the Village to pick up an extra-long Kryptonite lock. Looks like the "no bikes" sign applies to the Segway as well in restaurants. I barely have enough time to stop and get a sandwich before getting back to work. I have to call my lunchmates and tell them I didn't get into an accident. If I keep yelling, "Beep, beep coming through" every block I can actually make some time. This thing really needs a horn.
5:15pm
A cop called me over from the bike lane and told me unless I have a handicap permit I'm going to have to get motorcycle plates and a city sticker for this. He let me go this time, but he said if he sees me again mucking up traffic on my "razor scooter" I'm going to get arrested. I ran over a really big guy's toes pulling into the bike lane. He was really pissed. Four more people called me "Spaceman" on the way home. At least the doorman didn't call me handicapped again.
5:55pm
I'm home and I came this close to hosing off the dog crap on the wheels before I saw the electric shock warning sticker. The first thing my wife told me as I pulled into the garage is that I look and smell like shit.
6:15pm
I just called and the Shaper Image won't take returns. Great. I gotta get some good pictures of this thing for ebay. My 14-year old is gonna use it to get to her Lacrosse practices until I can sell it. I overheard her call it an "electric ass-mover." Her friend responded by saying, "Oh, that geekmobile thingy your dad dropped three grand on?"
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