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Segway HT Starts Selling
Ninja Master Gara writes "The much-hyped "IT", Dean Kamen's Segway Human Transporter, started selling Monday with a no-refund deposit of $495 on the $4,950 people mover for deliveries starting March 2003 on first come first serve basis.
"The Segway Human Transporter is one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time," Jeff Bezos, chief executive and founder of Amazon.com, said in heralding the availability of the vehicles on the online retailer's site." It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever, and I'm kicking myself for posting it since that just contributes to the problem.
I live in London, England, joyously enough.
1) No room to drive any longer - cars are everywhere.
2) No room to stand on the tube (subway) - people are everywhere.
3) No room to stand on the mainline (overground) trains - people are everywhere.
4) Segway is still useless.
Looks like we'd better start bringing out the guns...
Has anybody figured out how it works?
I'll go out and watch yet another way motorists can take you out...
Julie Moult is an idiot.
Let's see how much better it sells than the C5...
It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever, and I'm kicking myself for posting it since that just contributes to the problem.
Why did you post it then?
Really though, if you want to get around in areas that a car is not practical, use a bicycle, or walk, and get some exercise while you're at it...
"I'll have a Guinness, no wait, make that a Coors Light" -Grad student I work with, who shall remain anonymous...
.... I WANT ONE! :)
It will be interesting to see how popular this will become over the next few years (and subsequent price drops). Remember when push-scooters first started to become fashionable? People looked on at the owners, and thought "What a ridiculous concept".... Switch to today, and there are many businessmen using this mode of transport to get around the city (at least in Paris).
Do you think that the same will happen to the Segway?.... Time will tell....
-- 7 string electric violin + live loop samplers
I was disappointed that it wasn't a unicycle. Imagine a seat on a wheel that moves and swivels to keep directly underneath you. Sort of like a magic one legged stool.
And I was also disappointed that it didn't go faster. If it can balance, why not make it go 50 miles an hour?
This is America, damnit. Speak Spanish!
If you've ever been to Italy and seen the way they handle their Vespas, and where they try to drive them knows that "Seven mostly rural states have no prohibitions on the use of powered vehicles on sidewalks." could mean trouble.
Except from that, I think that it is nice to see that this actually became a product (or looks close to becoming). I doubted it earlier.
How long will it be until we see urban kiddies with mis-matched kustom wheels and unpainted ground effects on these things? (oh yeah, and don't forget the obligatory NOS and MOMO stickers)
At least you won't hear any annoying exhaust systems that sound like a beehive in blender with these, due to the electric drivetrain.
-This sig intentionally left blank
So not only is the segway utterly useless but our main defence contractor is actively shouting about saying "Woo! Yay! Hoopla! *We* did this!"
And they wonder why people think England's going down the pan...
5 Grand? Buy a car.
I think personally it could be pretty cool. A vehicle that can move you along at about 15 mph without making you sweat while in a suit and tie...or whetever work clothing you are wearing. The major drawback of the thing is the weather...but hey...cars suck in snow and rain too...
Sign me up for one when they break the $1500 price range...
I remember, many years ago, there was a similar device. It promised to revolutionise transport in ourt crowded infrastructure. It cost about £400 ($800 or so at the time), could be driven by anyone, was efficient, and affordable.
It was called the Sinclair C5 and it was a complete failure.
The Segway is almost the same, except it has a price tag high large enough to buy a cheap used car, and looks even more stupid.
until someone starts tuning them and arrange races. If it's got an engine it can be raced. =)
is the segway not "IT" or is it not "ginger"
My outlook on things to come in 2-3 years: Big story on the news, but when it comes to people actually using it, next to nil.
I don't see a problem with this being hyped so much. If enough people buy this, Kamen and his design team will be able to make more medical devices or better wheelchairs or whatever he wants. Whatever it is, he has shown that he is very good at bringing beneficial technologies to life. Helping him helps society.
Despite that, creating a product which seems mostly intentioned to generate fame and hero-worship is vain. But his good outweighs his bad in my limited view, so why not support him.
List of people who care about your internal conflict:
I think one of the major difficulties for it will be the legal situation - what is it classified as?
I live in the UK. As I understand it, it will be illegal to ride on the road (since it is a powered vehicle) and also illegal to ride on the pavement (sidewalk). Where the heck can I ride it then?
Then there's the problem that you look like a complete goon. But I ride a unicycle so who am I to comment?
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
damn lazy cops.
How much are they giving for the trade-in on your legs?
How several people POSTED in the comments of other stories yesterday that it was for sale and that the editors REJECTED the story...
waiting for your friend to post it taco?
slashdot is starting to REALLY suck lately.
if u hate to puch the hype, than don't post the shiat on the front page. add it to a slashback or something...
yes, quantity of posts is up, and yes quality is down to match.
Segway sux as you crash.
I suspect that a strange thought control gas was delivered along with the press release, because both the teevee and Amazon.com also claimed that the Segway was now selling.
For reference: "Selling" is an event where you give me money and I give you something. "Reserving" is where you and I enter into an agreement that sometime in the future I will give you the first opportunity to give me money, at which time I will give you something.
Hope this clarifies things!
Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
..rejected by Taco fucker and brought to you by the hacker underground.
News.com is reporting that IBM has won a $290 million contract with the federal government to build what are expected to be the world's two fastest supercomputers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The other machine, the Linux powered Blue Gene/L will be 10 times faster than the current #1 , NEC's Earth Simulator with a speed of 360 teraflops, according to IBM.
You have to give these guys credit, for marketing their product quite well.
Most people who are going to try and sell a scooter are not going to market it as a product that will change the world. Then making people wait to see what the heck it actually is draws the interest of all sorts of newspapers, and gets free advertising. Finally, once they annouce the product, they get a bunch of actors to use them in TV shows, to really drive up the hype.
I am not saying it's a bad product. It actually looks pretty cool, but for $5000 I expect it to do all the work for me, and to go fast. I guess it might lead to good things in the future, but right now, it's just another toy for the rich, hardly changing the world
Don't like it, don't buy it.
However, do not deny the technology in it is very cool. In fact, the Amazon.com order page has a very nice semi-detailed overview of how everything works, with diagrams, etc.
I can't wait to try one of these one day when they come down in price.
"And like that
Goodie, now we can all get fatter.. or are old people can 'kick it' with more style... ? All I can think of is the South Park episode where Mr. Garrison develops the people mover thing with the inner rectal seat... I don't really remember what he called the thing
Seriously, if I lived in a big city, or a touristy area, I would be tempted to buy one right away and charge to rent it. I can see a lot of people ponying up 20 bucks to try one out.
I had the opportunity to see a Segway in use at, of all places, the Toledo Zoo. Aside from looking really cool in action, this thing is supposed to of interest to companies as a productivity enhancing tool. The guy I saw moved along smartly with a package in a basket on the Segway. As I continued to watch, he pulled up at his destination, dismounted and then stood there watching the Segway to make sure it didn't roll/drive away on its own. I would have dismissed this, but he made such a deliberate effort to assure himself that it would stay put. He spent perhaps 15 seconds doing so. I have to conclude that his experience on the Segway taught him to be certain it stays put. If he has to do this every time he dismounts then there is more productivity to be gained. Maybe a little voice recognition system should be added to these things. "Segway, sit! Stay! Good Segway!"
-- Instant Karma's gonna get you! [320848 = 2*2*2*2*11*1823]
I remember reading a while back about how people who were shown IT/Ginger in it's development have basically said Segway is not it. ZDNet has the story.
I was curious why Steve Jobs was getting all excited about something like this, doesn't seem like him.
"Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." - Emily Dickinson
I just can't wait for 'Segway XXX' on the PS2, Gamecube and X-Box!
Blaming GW Bush for the Iraq war is like blaming Ronald McDonald for the poor quality of food.
Dean Kamen's super advanced robotic wheelchair is far more impressive (a lot of the technology behind the Segway comes from it). It is 4 wheel drive, can stand a person upright so that the wheelchair bound can look "norms" in the eyes, climbs stairs with ease, is faster than a Segway, and is as compact a normal non-folding wheelchair.
And he has been working on a true compact Stirling Engine using modern materials for quite some time. Supposedly is quite close to getting it working affordably. Such a device could do wonders for the energy problems of today (not to mention providing electric power even in the most remote areas).
This is also the guy that invented several key medical devices used in much of modern cardiovascular and vascular medicine. Things such as a blood pump that due to the design of the turbine blades within it does not damage blood cells as they pass through the device.
Dean is also the founder of the US FIRST program designed to get children of the US (and other countries) interested in science and invention at an early age. The US FIRST robotics competition has inspired some very interesting advances in robotics.
Once more unto the breach dear friends...
According to this link and this one The C5 was made by sinclaire research. So yes, in actual fact, both machines were made by the great Bald Boffin Sinclaire
Taco, you won't think is overhyped when you're 85 years old and using a similar, but smaller device to keep up with your grandkids on walks to the park.
Sure, the Segway HT has been hyped. Duh. Take a dictionary and look up the word "Marketing". This doesn't make it a bad product.
I can't wait to try one. I expect it to be like the Palmpilot and the original Macs: if you try them, most people "feel" that this is not your average new gadget. Ofcourse I could be wrong.
if 33 out of 50 states hadn't banned them on sidewalks. This looks like a great Sci-fi advancement come to life but unfortunatly the good'uns have made them all but useless by saying we can't have them on the sidewalks before they ever prooved they were a problem. Sheeeze. In the country of "innocent untill prooven guilty" it is surpriseing to see us delcair a vehicle dangerous before we try it out. Usually it takes at least 3 million dollar studies before we ever pass a law against something. I am ashamed to see the majority of states react the way they did to progress.
I am very excited by the chance to purchase a new Segway Human Transporter. While I understand that the Segway is the most important invention in the history of mankind, I feel that it could use a few improvements:
-I don't feel like standing up while I travel. Segway needs a seat.
-I can't picture myself leaning around to control Segway, especially when sitting down. Add two more wheels and a better control system. Maybe a steering wheel and a couple of foot pedals will do.
-I'm certainly not going to ride around in the open air, especially in bad weather. Add a roof, a heater, and an air conditioner.
-17 miles an hour? Two hours of operation? Sorry, I have places to go. Add a nice 6-cylinder engine.
-Where am I supposed to put my groceries? Add a trunk. And a back seat. I have a family, you know!
Add all this, and maybe a 4-speaker CD system, and I think you'll have a winner!
-----
Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.
Like most of you all I am feeling a bit of jealousy at those who can afford it, but at the same time I am equally skeptical. What's the solution? Let some people buy it, and if they like it and it fills a need, the word will spread, more people will buy it, the price will go down, and maybe you or I will get one and you soon we'll be bumping into each other. Or not. Either way, more information about the thing is always valuable, and whether this comes from brochures, reviews or word of mouth, I don't care; they all allow me to make a better decision in the end.
cleetus
I know that there is a wheelchair called the ibot which is made by John Williamson. Part of the attraction is that when the chair is in "standing" mode, the wheelchair bound person is on the same eye level as able bodied people. (is abled bodied people the correct term for people with working legs?) anyway, what would happen if a paralysed person braced their legs straight and then balanced on the platform of a segeway and got that same six foot tall feeling of looking a six foot tall person in the eye for 1/20th the cost of an i-bot wheelchair?
You drive by the ghetto and see them sitting on blocks, sans wheels!
I think that's what my box will be saying after posting this...
I got to ride one of them last August -- it was pretty wild.
http://sethbuckley.com/gallery/Segway
help fill in hidden movie endings @ End of the Credits
Well, if it goes over 30mph, it'll go faster than most of the traffic in Northern VA during rush hour. If you could brrrm down Hwy. 66 and pass all the other traffic on the extreme left, it would be pretty cool. Heck, near all the "popular" exits, the right lane is usually moving at walking speed anyway. The only real problem I see is that business about leaning forward to go forward & v/v at high speeds. I am probably not that coordinated. Also, people who are concerned about their hair-styling will not be pleased. However, if you can get your dog on the back, s/he would love it. That's it. The ultimate dog-walker!! Thank you, thank you very much. }:{)||
Could you imagine someone using a cell-phone while riding a Segway?
"A woman was brutally run over today by an errant Segway operator. When asked about the incident, the Segway driver claimed that his unit was faulty; it didn't include turn signals and the use of slothenly 'hand-signals' is be entirely out of the question."
I swear someone's gonna get smacked into and we'll have a lawsuit. You watch!
-Bullseye
Woo-hoo, a TOY that will get people to avoid even the most basic and simple bit of exercise called WALKING. People, particularly Americans, are pigs and idiots. They hop in their car to drive down the block to get a soda and then drive back home. They eat, eat, eat and sit on their fat, lazy asses and waste money on useless and silly toys.
For Mithras' sake, use your frickin' legs and DO something! Exercise you damn lazy, nasty, flabby lardasses. DON'T buy a segway, WALK. Or ride a bike. If you don't like the seat giving you a wedgy, get a reclining bike.
These toys should be largely relegated to foot patrol cops and mail delivery personnel. Everyone else can walk and burn a few frickin' calories to at least TRY to offset your billion calorie supersized McD's lardass lunch special.
Ya'll make me sick (those itching to have one of these things). Lazy-ass pigs.
In Bushworld, they struggle to keep church and state separate in Iraq as they increasingly merge the two in America.
How'd he pull that one off?
I guess they decided to sell to the govt first.
Seriously, isn't this thing overrated? IMHO the person who can quiet down noisy skateboards should get a Nobel prize, but skateboards, scooters, bicycles, rollerblades and Razors (and assorted ripoffs) all have if over these things because they're self powered, efficient and effective. And, you could buy a full set of all of the above, at a very high quality for the minimum price of one Segway. I expect they have some nice limited use, but they're no substitute for ambulation.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Northern NJ towns are already regretting that hasty cave-in, according to this article. The state law Segway lobbyists pushed through prohibits towns from banning any "electric personal assistive mobility devices,'' says that story--the law " was passed after Segway, maker of the "Human Transporter,'' lobbied New Jersey's Legislature and others throughout the country."
So what's the problem? As a result, New Jersey towns have been unable to deal with the latest fad among local teenagers, electric scooters, which they ride on the sidewalks.
Note that the scooters now terrorizing North Jersey pedestrians are not "assistive devices" that deserve protection by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)--neither is the Segway. These are vehicles you have to stand up on to drive. But affluent parents who bought these toys for their teens are calling on the protection of the ADA to keep them on the sidewalks and out of traffic. We can expect to see the same with the Segway.
San Francisco plans to fight back, according to this Examiner article. Senior-citizen activists and walkers protested they don't want to share their space with a 95 lb machine traveling 12 mph. "The whole point of sidewalks is to separate vehicles from pedestrians," says Walk San Francisco director Michael Smith.
IMO, the Segway is a pyramid scheme waiting to tumble. Early investors put up the cash for a massive publicity and lobbying campaign. They now have until March to lure unsuspecting buyers to buy their Segways, and unsuspecting investors to buy their stock.
In March it's all over. Once Segways hit the sidewalks, the pyramid crumbles. Whoever has money in Segways in March will take the hits for liability claims that already have class-action lawyers licking their chops. State legislators will quickly rescind Segway laws, and Segway owners will be riding their white elephants in the street--if they feel like admitting they own this year's version of Edsel.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
The Segway has been criticized mercilessly since it was first revealed. I think this is largely the result of the secrecy surround its development. A great deal of speculation ensued about what it could be, and then when it was launched, people felt let down because they had imagined something more.
Where else have I seen this? Oh yeah, it happens before every Macworld Expo. It's some kind of clinical condition that relates to people never being satisfied and the grass always looking greener elsewhere.
Anyway, I think it is pretty stupid to call it overhyped.
Firstly, the rampant speculation was NOT hype. It was speculation. Hype is when you talk about the great features of a product and how much you want one. Anticipation of the next LoTR movie is hype. Speculation about "IT" or "Ginger" was more like wondering about whether aliens exist.
Secondly, I think hype can only really be determined after the product is launched to see if it fails to live upto expectations. We have no idea how well the Segway will do. How can we tell whether or not it was overhyped?
This kind of shooting-from-the-hip editorial commentary fundamentally lowers the level of discussion around here sometimes.
Paris has always been good for Bikes, Bladers, Scooters et al. The wide pavements, the properly enforced cycle lanes.
Lots of people Bike/Blade/Scoot to work in Paris because you can and lets face it Paris is a nice place to see as you go. The Scooters allow the suits to zip around with less hassle than blades, but many people still use blades. And while you look a little silly on a Scooter you are still part of some form of sub-culture, and they are not hanging around.
The Segway makes you look like a muppet. Parisiens will forgive many things, but not looking cool or stylish isn't one of them. This is a city with Policemen trained by the Olympic skating team to be bladers.
I await to be corrected but somehow I can't imagine 2,000 Segway owners meeting at Bastille on a Sunday afternoon for a great high speed crack around the city. Exercise is cool in Paris, being Fat is very uncool.
Vive la differance and all that, but Segway will be as popular as American tourists in Paris.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
I can't wait until someone tries a ride-by on one of those and falls off :) I'll be watching the news.
It'll be interesting to see how it does, like it or hate it.
---
When I grow up, I want to be a kid again.
While the Segway sounds like a great idea, I'll wait for the following improvements:
1. The weight of the unit has to come down. The current 65 pound weight is a bit much to carry up and down staircases.
2. The unit should be collapsible, so you it makes it much easier to carry on and off means of public transport (trains, trolleys, buses and ferries).
3. The cost has to be much lower than now.
I really hope a company like Dahon (famous for its folding bicycles) will work with Kamen and develop something akin to a Segway that weighs no more than 25-27 pounds, folds and/or collapses to a manageable size, and costs no more than US$2,000 to start and then lower the cost as technology improves.
It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever, and I'm kicking myself for posting it since that just contributes to the problem.
Why the sudden change in policy? Or is Segway just not paying you?
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Or is there another C5, I'm not a aware of. (Of course if you meant the Renault Vel-Satis, that's another discussion *grin*)
"It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever, and I'm kicking myself for posting it since that just contributes to the problem."
Yeah, far be it from you to listen to your loyal readership who take the time and effort to search the Internet for "Stuff that Matters" to others than just yourself at the same time helping to make your bottom line look a little better.
Overhyped and overpriced is certainly your opinion which I could personally do without. Do you know how much it costs to make one of these? Do you know the specifics of the R & D went into these? I think not.
Do you realize how fantastic an achievement in technology this is? Well, I guess not if you think it's just a "toy". (BTW, Nice lame-ass attempt to trivialize it.) The engineering that went into creating a device that balances the human body while moving forward, backward and turning and most importantly anticipates sudden movements to maintain that balance is fantastic!
Perhaps more important (and certainly undervalued by many) are the potential advances that this type of technology could lead to that we can't foresee right now. (Like this wheelchair that Kamen also invented.
For a nerd who supposedly likes anime, science- fiction, technology, etc. You seem just a little negative and short-sighted.
But of course, these are just my opinions.
Co-founder and designer at Music Nearby: http://musicnearby.com
..jealousy.
It's ok, little child, you can re-apply for a visa at any time. The denial was nothing personal. Or maybe it was, if you acted like that.
let's say a group of punk kids decides they want your Segway. How are you supposed to stop them from taking it? You can't outrun them on it, and it's unlikely that you'll be able to carry that thing and run off. and you can't stand your ground and fight them: they're young and quicker than you. $5000 down the drain.
Hype or no hype there's only one term for this. It's DROOLWARE. I mean look at the description of the technology, it's... I lack words... must try... this thing... must... droool.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! !
:)
And now I type this sentance to avoid the filter
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
about 2.5 times as much as I paid for my car. (granted I have a crappy car) $5000 and this thing doesn't even go fast eanough to catch air. Im sure somebody could come up with a hack, even so, I would rather have a $5000 bicycle than this thing.
GENERATION 25: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social exper
...I could buy a top of the line custom built titanium bike and have money to spare. The bike would be smaller, lighter, cheaper, easier to maintain, not run out of power, go faster, access more places and give people exercise. Ooops! I said the nasty E word, exercise!
Seriously, it's amazing how much money can be made off of human laziness. People are willing to pay 5000$, along with the effort of maintaining these things, to not have to move their legs
Outdoor digital photography, mostly in New Engl
You get the feeling that the $495 deposit covers the cost of the raw materials of the machine, then the rest of the $5000 deals with assembly labor and profit?
I was wondering why the digitally remastered "Easy Rider" DVD I bought from Amazon had Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda riding around on scooters. I had figured it was just the director's cut.
Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
I simply can't believe they are going to allow these to be used on sidewalks. They take up extra space and if the user looses control, especially in windy weather, they could take someones eye out. They are totally unsuitable to busy streets, they make it hard to see where you are going and make you look stupid. Hold on... I thought we were talking about unbrellas.
Seriously though, the talk about people being hurt by Segway riders is small thinking. Sure, there is potential risk. But what about the people *not* killed because drivers are using their Segway instead of their 8mpg 8cylinder SUV?
Without a way shift balance (which would usually be your body) the only way for a segway to keep itself straight is to rely on air resistance as a damping effect on oscillations. The air resistance would be the only thing keeping the system stable ... intuitively Id say that without a human the system is very poorly damped. Any velocity at all will take a long time to be diminished, which is nasty in a gusty wind.
I think the human is an integral part in making the segway stable while stationary, gyros alone cant do it AFAICS.
I'm curious. Of the lucky ones who have ridden a Segway, how many think they're too dangerous to be on sidewalks? I've ridden one and my feeling is that they are *so* intuitive that they aren't any more dangerous than, say, a jogger. Certainly much safer than bicycles.
So lets hear from those that have...
we start seeing engine upgrades and battery upgrades, maybe even the computer chip upgrades. A whole new generation of extreme sports will be created! I can't wait to pull a superman off some motocross jump on 'IT'! You guys just wait!!!
I certainly am no english language whiz, however I always thought the word was spelled "segue":
segue \SEG-way; SAYG-way\, verb:
To proceed without interruption; to make a smooth transition.
A little word I picked up at Dead shows. You know, "space segue wharf rat", something like that.
Imagine being caught in an electrical storm with your own personal lighting rod!
Mmmmm, lightning...
47 Meelion Dollars!?! I'm the cat!
What happens when you crash into something, or when there is a computer failure, and the Segway stops working? Why is it that no one mentions the word death?
Funny. Nice description of a car.
If you get on one of these things, you end up with this shit-eating grin that you just can't stop. It's amazingly intuitive.. even my grandparents could use it. Very cool and fun. It blows away any "scooter" on the market.. and honestly it's no bigger than a person standing. You can turn on a dime, because the wheels spin independantly. I watched some guy smack into another guy while going pretty fast, and they were both fine. It was sort of like someone was jogging and bumped into someone. Sure that can hurt, but unless someone gets tossed under the wheels of a car, no one will get killed.
I really hope that the states allowing(requiring) these things to be ridden on the sidewalks doesn't bleed over into the bicycle world.
Bikes are much too fast to mix with peds safely. The speed and maneuverability are too different. But they may eventually get lumped in with these Seg's as "non-cars", and be required to use the sidewalk. Then the already declining bike use will drop even farther. And we will get fatter and fatter.
Even the Seg is too big and fast for a crowded sidewalk. "Just like being hit by a pedestrian" doesn't begin to convey the kinetic energy behind a 320 lb lump hitting you at 12 mph. Roll right over most people.
The English C5 was a plastic electric car. The design ignored the fact that plastic develops cracks when flexed often. It was quirky in the English tradition. It died immediately after introduction.
How long til we see Xtreme videos of dudes doing jumps, riding in halfpipes, and generally filthing it up?
Meat is murder, I eat chicken.
According to the specs the thing can carry up to a 250 lb person, is it just me or is that a tad limiting, especially considering the current weight situation in America.
Anyone know if they're coming out with a bigger one for Shaquille O'Neil and myself?
I took a look at that gallery, and noticed that the first, second, and last pictures were viewed more frequently than all the rest. Could this kind of behaviour explain the prevalance of cowboyneal votes?
Something I've been wondering about here...
I recall a few years back a friend of mine telling me a story about his experiences in the military. He did aircraft maintenance on a number of different craft.
Apparently, many of them make use of extremely high RPM gyroscopes in their on board guidance systems. While I don't recall the technical specs, I do remember him telling me that there were specific regulations for how long you had to wait after the aircraft was powered down before you were allowed to begin servicing the systems. Otherwise, there was a very real danger to both the mechanic and the machine. He related that on one occasion he and his team waited the regulated time period and then began to disassemble the planes systems. As they removed the housing with the gyroscope and began to lower it to the tarmack it suddenly flew from there hands and took off - thereby destroying itself. They were all a bit shaken and one of the long time crew chiefs remarked, "Guess that was a good one" because it still hadn't come to a stop.
Now the SegWay supposedly uses, "aircraft quality gyroscopes" for balance and control. If these are powerful enough to keep an adult human upright they must be spinning at a terrific RPM. What are the dangers involved in this? That is to say if someone on one of these were to be struck by a car, would one of these gyros take off and remove some unfortunate soul's head?
It wasn't even news yesterday.
* 2002-11-18 19:46:46 Segway $4,950 at Amazon - 3/2003 delivery (articles,news) (rejected)
It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever, and I'm kicking myself for posting it since that just contributes to the problem.
Gawd, if that's Taco's idea of a problem, he must have billions of them.
As a result I see these all the time.. average is about 2-3 a day. Now a lot of you are saying what's the point, they're stupid, use a bike, use a car.. For Manchester they are very well suited. We have this long strip downtown.. going from one end to the other is a pain by car (lots of traffic, lights, no parking) going by bike sucks since you can't bike on the sidewalk (unsafe, and I'll get to that later) and if you only have 30mins for lunch then you probably can't walk to your favorite lunch place and back in that time (Even more so now that Capri burnt down).
The Segway is great for this task and that's what most people use them for, going to work further then 2-3 miles but not to far, getting lunch, and doing in city things.
As far as the safety thing.. I don't care how good you are on a bike you can't stop on a dime if you'er going at a good speed.. Until you actually see it in person you can't fully understand, but I saw a guy (from Deka) going down the side walk at probably 8-10mph.. he got to the intersection and STOPED, on a dime, because you have to lean back to make it stop you are already adjusting your center of balance, if you stopped that quickly on a bike you would either flip over the handle bars or wipe out. This is why a segway is safer.
You go to your friends house and he lives up a flight of stairs? you get off, stand next to your segway, it a button on it and it will walk itself up the stairs (you can't be on it because of the extream angle it's at)
Over all they're cool, I would get one and use it to get to work (about 7-8 miles) rather then drive my car. I would have never used it when I was living in Goffstown (next town over, small town) since there wasn't anything of interest for about 20 miles around me.. And if I lived in the building above where I worked, or a few blocks away, sure I would probably walk rather then use this, but not if I was 3 miles or more away.
With all this being said, I still can't wait to see how they are in the snow :)
Free Mac Mini
Maybe the AIBO is even more outrageous seen from a usefulness per money aspect, however there are many more serious disadvantages with such a high price (as any bike-owners in big cities knows).
What kind of munchkin-LOCK are you going to use on a 5 GRAND personal vehicle??? Where're you going to put it so it remains safe? As a bike-owner, I recall I once strolled in a bookstore for 5 minutes. Once I got out, my locked-down bike was a total goner. The thieves never got caught.
Of course, a segway will attract attention, which may scare off some thieves. But are you willing to bet nobody is going to try?
Then there is sabotage and rampage, you better have a special insurance for this baby..
...because it will soon disappear and turn into a collector's item.
I guess I'm the only person here who doesn't think the Segway has been overhyped.
This is an incredible product that realistically could change have a big impact on the way cities are planned and the way lives are lived.
The grumps who are wailing "what about us poor schmoes on the sidewalks" haven't taken a close look at the thing or thought about it very hard.
Barelling down the sidewalk at 17mph is like running full-bore. Whether you are traveling that speed on foot or on a seque it is still poor social ettiquette. People don't drive their cars 80mph down 25mph residential streets. Why will they start to careen down sidewalks?
I could see cities bolstering their bike-police force. It's no problem for a reasonably healthly person to bike at least 17mph. They'll help enforce safe sidewalk laws.
Well, that's looking at the social aspects of the machine.
Looking at it as a geek I'm in total-fucking-awe of what they've done. They've simulated the inner-ear for all intents and purposes. The machine is rugged, polution free (ignoring manufacturing wastes), and it is really reasonably priced. I'm willing to bet in a year or so these will be available for ~$2000. That's only slightly higher than the price of a decent road, mountain, or commuter bike.
I saw Dean Kamen a couple weeks back. He was up in North Dakota for one of our Technology Conferences. He focused more on his pet project of more, better science and math education but he did have a seque along. I came away convinced the seque could be a year-round commuter vehicle in our larger cities. If it's good enough for North Dakota in the winter it's damn well good enough for the rest of the country year round.
obviously no deficiencies vs. no obvious deficiencies
No kidding, but personally I think this could potentially be useful for my 85yr old grandmother. Of course, we'd actually have to try it out first. You don't just throw grandma up there and say 'lean forward!' - ZOOM! There goes grandma.
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
Truest damn thing I've read all day. Even if it won't "go," it only weighs 70lbs, easy to run off with.
1) Bring the price down about an order of magnitude. ...until then, all they have is an expensive toy.
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2) Design it so that it can be collapsed down to
where a commuter can easily take it with them on a bus/ train.
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A goal is a dream with a deadline
1 - 83 POUNDS!! 83 F'ing POUNDS!!
2 - 5 MILES!! 5 F'ing MILES!! (Under "strenuous" conditions, which include riding on grass or uphill.)
Did you see the picture of the two cops riding along on these things? I already routinely point and laugh at bicycle cops. I'd probably fall over in luaghter if I saw these guys riding towards me!
"they're very slowly gaining on us...quick get a taxi!"
The Only Person Willing to be Me is ME!
Segway has hyperthreading! Wow, I gotta get one now! How many megahurts will it give you?
--
If you moderate this, then your children will be next.
There is no mention of a warranty anywhere. This would kinda worry me if i was going to be plopping down 5Gs on a device which hasn't had too much field testing.
Well done. You got the joke.
Until somebody steals it and then you have that 5k dream.
What is music when you despise all sound?
My alma mater is famous for two things:
Dean Kamen's (A WPI non-graduate) "IT"
and the Wachusett Brewery ("WPI Engineered")
Personally, I'll take the beer.
Why stick up for big business?
Congratulations! You got the joke!
Who says Slashdotters are morons? Not me!
And I'll just bet you're a million laughs at parties, you sly dog!
"The Segway Human Transporter is one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time," Jeff Bezos, chief executive and founder of Amazon.com
By who?
I heard the same thing about that Ronco rotissory cooker, the vaccuum storage bags, and at least 5 different home gyms.
It may be a very interesting product but lets be realistic here.
Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
I live about 2 miles from work, which seems just a bit too far to walk, but close enough that I think driving a car is a waste of resources (short trips burn more gas and wear out the car faster).
So I bought a scooter. It cost way less than half the price of Segway; has places for my raincoat, laptop, and briefcase; lets me sit down on the way to work; goes way faster than Segway (mine is restricted to 30 mph to let me dodge tax & insurance -- some go 50+ mph). In the last 3 months, I've put 3 gallons of gas in it.
These things have been around for decades, but haven't caught on with everyone. Why should Segway?
I'm with ya man!!
I got up at 2:30 here in California to sit in my damned backyard for about 40 minutes and all I saw was maybe 20 meteors! Only one or two were even all that impressive, the rest were quick and tiny shots that mostly were out of the corner of my eye. Stupid scientists....that's the LAST time I ever listen to them!
..be aware of this website of a bunch of lawyers already making plans to soak Segway for millions.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
It's obviously a joke! Morons!
15 (really 10) miles of charge
Doesn't seem very far to me. I think I'd be endlessly charging the thing.
Payload: 250 lbs
Geez, there is a significant portion of the population that weighs in excess of 250 lbs. I guess it's just not for us, er them, huh?
NiMH batteries
The website states they get 300-500 full charges before needing replacing. That's only about a year and a half or so before an expensive part needs replacement if you're using it daily (and for the price you'd better be).
Insurance
I didn't find anything involving insurance. How would a device like this be underwritten? Personal property? Auto? What?
Pricetag
Besides, the price tag is WAY too high (even if it were 1/10 of what it is now I would be unlikely to buy).
With all the lambasting this thing is taking here on Slashdot, it will likely turn into a huge, and damned annoying, market success somehow.
Actually, if this thing were rigged up with some proximity and motion sensors, it could potentially be a useful assistive device for the completely blind and visually impaired, like yours truly. Then again, maybe nothing can beat the intuition and training of a guide dog. We shall see.
I guess my point is that someone, somewhere, will find a great use for this thing even beyond its original intentions.
Someday, you're going to die. Get over it.
In case of collision, the Segway "backs up gently when it bumps an object and has low pressure tires that soften the force on anything it rides over."
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
Yep, there is another C5. Specifically, Sir Clive Sinclair's (he of the ZX Spectrum 1980's computer fame) failed electric vechicle. The Segway and the Sinclair C5 have been compared to each other quite a bit here in Britain....
(1) Second parallel battery pack -- "turbo edition" ;-)
(2) Holder for a plastic flower -- "nostalgia edition"
(3) Lowered suspension and purple neon lighting underneath -- "urban edition"
(4) Pedals instead of a battery so it becomes self powered -- "amish edition" (or alternatively, "Greepeace speical"
-psy
I have an 87 year old gradmother who can only walk on flat surfaces and serious osteoporosis. I doubt riding one of these would be safe enough for her; she, like a toddler, can fall down just standing on a concrete slab. However I'm sure there are a lot of people who are movement-impaired and I think this is a great thing for that reason. I personally hope it succeds and competes with, and also encourages, the use of bicycles.
This is not a "fantastic an achievement in technology". It is an interesting implimentation of a well known servo control problem. Textbooks on servo control show the "balance a stick with a wheel on the bottom" problem as an example, along with the analysis of how the servo works. What makes it a tougher control problem can be reduced to "balancing a pail of water with a wheel on the bottom", dealing with sloshing, etc. If you put some smart engineers familiar with servo control theory on the problem you get a solution, not a fantastic achievement or great "potential advances". So sorry to burst your Hype Bubble.
Nothing to see here, move along.
I had read about the Segway, but when I saw one demoed with my own eyes, I was profoundly astonished. I suddenly felt I was in the 21st century. When I say that, I realize that there isn't much about the Segway that couldn't have been developed years earlier (I'm not talking about possible novel improvements in energy density of batteries or the like). Say what you will (and I'm about to), but I think that *some* of the hype is deserved.
But, after the demo, I really started to wonder about the real usability of the thing and I think I came upon a kind of Achilles' heel that I don't think the design of the Segway addresses: uneven surfaces that induce a roll. Imagine a perfectly flat sidewalk, and then imagine that on the right half of the sidewalk I lay down some humps - let's make them 1/2" high and 6" wide, and let me space their centers 12" apart. Now, on the left side of the sidewalk, let me lay down similar humps similarly, except I'll offset them relative to the other set such that they are in line with the gaps in the other set.
Now, here I come with my Segway at four feet per second. I get to the bumps, and each wheel is forced up and down 1/2" four times a second. Aren't my Segway's handlebars going to be jerking from side to side very rapidly, displacing maybe 3"-4" or so? What's that going to be like to hold on to?
I also wonder about "failure modes," i.e., one-person collisions and falls. Also, what happens when there's a gyro failure? I can imagine the thing falling over like a leaf rake if the pitch gyro stopped working.
I can't believe all this Kamen worship... He's never put out a commmercially viable high volume consumer item - including ginger! He didn't "invent" the insulin pump nor the first stair climbing wheelchair. Read the patents - he doesn't even do the critical work on the inventions - his employees do, and if you read the comments from them, he's no genius, no humanitarian and no business guru. Just another shyster that knows how to manipulate hype. We'll see how the USPS field trial works out;)
Why did Dean use this name. Any chance it's just a lead-in (segway) to some other invention? What else is the self-righting technology useful for?
Your monitor is staring at you.
It's not quite as simple as that though. Cycling often means having to carry multiple clothes and showering at the far end, so you need towels, soap, shampoo etc. It can easily add 15-30 minutes to a commute of a few miles. A segway needs, at most, rain gear; although its top speed is not as fast it's probably still a win.
-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"I am living in Manchester, NH and I see these things all the time. I was down by the mills 4 seperate times while I was cramming for my CCNP exams, and small packs of them would go wizing by. They seem like fun, but the people riding them all wore dorky helmets. For that price tag, I would rather buy a old used car like a MGB to tinker around with.
Buy a motorcycle or scooder. Safer, Faster. Plus you are driving on the road not the sidewalk.
Yes, that is correct. It was kind of a recumbent scooter. It didn't really matter since you couldn't turn the front wheel very far to the left or the right.
... quite so fast!
It also came with a little flag that stuck up so that other motorists wouldn't kill you
I am not a number! I am a man! And don't you
I would highly disagree. People who live in cramped cities appreciate the Segway since it provides an alternative to bikes and mopeds. You don't get sweaty from using it, and it is potentially safer than a moped. However, if you live in a more open area where traffic jams don't really pose a problem, sure it is makes less sense.
Before you pass judgement, look at how much time people spend in traffic jams, and what the real average speed is when you drive in downtown areas.
Stop the brainwash
At last there's a better way to blow 5 grand than a RealDoll. Well, I don't know if it's more useful but at least you can let your mother use your Segway.
My deviantArt site
Do we really need a replacement for walking? It seems to me that bicycles fit the bill quite nicely, with public transport coming up right behind. I have to admit, I live in NYC and have never felt that I walk too much. What we need is a replacement for cars. Make this thing faster and lower to the ground and then... wait, that's a motorcycle. Just seems like a solution without a problem. The inventor is an arrogant monster too. Trying to change the laws in cities so the fools with these things can endanger our lives on the sidewalks.
I know they are trying to sell this thing to the post office and security forces.
First of all, if you are lucky enough to have a job that let's you keep in shape while doing it, why the hell would you want to throw away your fitness to ride around on a gay little scooter. I'm glad this thing costs an arm and a leg, the higher price will keep people from making fun of fat americans...
To me, this is like something that would only be useful if you lost the power to convery youself to a destination.
I work in midtown Manhattan, and yesterday at my lunch hour, I saw about 4 people riding Segways along the sidewalk down 7th Avenue. I'm guessing it was a PR thing, to build buzz. Note that I saw them at 7th Ave. and 56th Street... which is about 10 blocks north of Times Square. And that's where they seemed to be heading.
I gotta say: they were damn cool... and at least the way these folks were riding them, they didn't look particularly dangerous to pedestrians. Of course NYC has very wide sidewalks.
"one of the most famous and anticipated products..of all time"
Ok, so maybe I'm being a little rash, No it's not. But that's only because I have no interest on something to stand on.
I am how ever interested in Kamen's iBot, the Standing, all dancing, crap of the world. Wait wrong thread. Any way, from my PPV (Personal Point of View) the iBot is a much neater geek toy then the Segway. Sure, it's neat in it's balancing abilities, but have you ever heard of this indangered species called humans? They have this wonderful sense of balance, and it's built in. Grab a skate board, hop on a scooter, if you're going for distance try a bike.
Now, back to the geekiness that is more the iBot then IT. This chair, can balance on two wheels. Some humans have trouble with that--and consiquently would probably wind up going in circles on the IT. That's the product I'd like to see.
--
Yes, this was all of course biased in that I can't walk and require a wheelchair. Don't worry, I'm comfortable with my disability and don't need to attack any one. I don't know any other life then being disabled, the only thing I attack is human stupidity.
Computational Madness in a round package.
As cool as these segways may be the price is astronomical but understandable when we consider the engineer behind it. This does bring up the issue of people stealing Segways or worse yet "jacking" them as they say in the hood. I bet that within the 1st 6 months someone will have this happend to them and get their assed kicked in the process. Anyone? You'd think that with all his whiz-bangery Mr Kamen would conceive of an out of this world security technology to mate with this =). nobbist
It is official; Netcraft now confirms: Segway is dying
One more crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered Segway community when IDC confirmed that Segway market share has dropped yet again, now down to less than a fraction of 1 percent. Coming close on the heels of a recent Netcraft survey which plainly states that Segway has lost more market share, this news serves to reinforce what we've known all along. Segway is collapsing in complete disarray.
You don't need to be a Kreskin to predict Segway's future. The hand writing is on the wall: Segway faces a bleak future. In fact there won't be any future at all for Segway because Segway is dying. Things are looking very bad for Segway. As many of us are already aware, Segway continues to lose market share. Red ink flows like a river of blood.
Let's keep to the facts and look at the numbers.
All major surveys show that Segway has steadily declined in market share. Segway is very sick and its long term survival prospects are very dim. If Segway is to survive at all it will be among dilettante dabblers. Segway continues to decay. Nothing short of a cockeyed miracle could save Segway from its fate at this point in time. For all practical purposes, Segway is dead.
Fact: Segway is dying
Trolling is a art,
For a fraction of the price, you can get a bicycle and keep in shape. If you need something that stowes away more easily than a bike, get a folding bike--smaller, lighter, and cheaper than the Segway. Or, you can get a scooter. And for $5000, you can already get a pretty nifty motorcycle. All of those will get you to your destination faster.
The Segway was invented/designed in Manchester, NH, which I find this odd since the Segway is designed for places where one can't bike or drive in (very crowded streets which is not Manchester). I can't imagine someone riding the f**king thing in Manchester except for the fat tools at DEKA.
The last thing us fat, lazy Americans need is a over priced gadget because we can't walk half mile.
"The Segway Human Transporter is one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time
No, that's called "hype". And it's amazing the number of state legistlators have already signed off on making a 12mph scooter sidewalk legal so quickly despite major safty concerns.
Sorry, but Bezoes little project reeks of desperation and cut corners.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
I saw some of these at EPCOT in September, 02. I also noticed that the stroller rental stands were clogged with people renting those battery-powered carts (moto-thrones) that are occasionally seen in grocery stores for, I assumed, handicapped folks.
The alarming thing was that based on overheard conversations, a surprising amount of the people who were getting these appeared not to be handicapped, just too lazy to walk all over the disney parks.
I am in favor of coexisting with technology as much as the next guy, but I have to question things when it makes our (US) overfat and lazy culture more overfat and lazy.
How sleepless is the egg, knowing that which throws the stone forsees the bone.
She's 65, lives close to a downtown core, and her eyesight is getting bad enough that driving a car is becoming problematic, or will in the next couple of years. Segway would be a good solution for her.
Try to look outside yourself when you judge the worth of a product.
On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
And when people start using Segway instead of walking or cycling, the population capable of using them will diminish exponentially.
--
If you moderate this, then your children will be next.
I may be mistaken, but hasen't Mr. Kamen said in several interviews that Segway is absolutely *not* IT?
"A terrorist is someone who has a bomb but doesn't have an air force." -William Blum
There was a recent article (no I don't have link, and I don't feel like finding it... karma be damed) where the author reportedly asked the Segway creator a question, and was told (paraphrased)
Segway is not "IT".
.sigs are for post^Hers.
I recall when I got my first modem. The concensus was that it was "like having the first telephone, who do you call?"
Lesson: never think you can see the whole picture from a piece of isolated technology. Modems begot the internet, broadband, and who knows what next?
Who knows what the Segway will beget 30 yrs in the future, not I. Maybe it will not catch on and maybe it will become as ubiquitious as the internet is now. Who knows? Certianly not I.
It's always safer to write off any new technology cynically, because odds are that a given technological advance won't catch on. On the other hand, noone ever gained anything writing off a technology before they see what comes of it.
Try to open your minds a bit folks!
Minupla
On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
It doesn't have a parking brake? Seriously. That seems like a very logical thing to have. Forget voice recognition or anything else. I want to be certain each time I park this thing that it stays put. I wonder why they wouldn't have something like this in it? Too obvious?
Maybe the non-prototype consumer version does have it, who knows.
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. -- Carl Sagan
complaining about trains ...
Take a look at these and shut the hell up.
image 1
image2
In case you haven't guessed already , These are from my hometown bombay. So there...
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
I'd love one for Christmas but there is a foot of snow that just fell. I wonder if I could attach some skis or at least snow tires with chains.
I got a chance to ride one at a FIRST competition (FIRST is the robotics competition run by Dean Kamen) for a brief period, I'd like to say that 99% of you are completely wrong. The segway is amazingly easy to drive. It takes advantage of your body's natural balancing ability. I didn't get to take it up to full speed, but it sure seemed fast enough to me. The "ignition" is tied to an encrypted key making it pretty hard to steal. they may not revolutionize the world, but they are the perfect thing for anyone that needs to get around faster then walking, but needs more mobility then a car.
It's destined to fail because you have to stand.
"I am a student. Please do not fold, spindle, or mutilate me." -Slogan of the Free Speech Movement, 1964.
He was cruising on the sidewalk.. wearing a business suit and a bicycle helmet. He wasn't going too fast.. barely faster than the average pace in which a person walks, but I was curious how he would react to a group of people walking in his direction. He ended up plowing through them directly in the middle of their group. Also when he went to cross the street, he seemed to have a bit of difficulty getting up the handicapped-accessible lip for the getting on the sidewalk. Ironically a few weeks ago I saw a man in a wheelchair trying to get up the exact same slope and having a hell of a time so maybe it's a bit of a beast for wheels. Anywho I wanted to give my $0.02.
The ASIMO's lawyer was quoted as saying "1001001110001010".
A couple guys play on the obvious (to anyone with a life) pun between the Sinclair C5 and the 5-th generation Corvette (aka C5), and they get modded down to 0. What gives?
Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
Why all the negativity?! Is this not the crowd that starts drooling over a new case mod, or a Escher replica made of Lego blocks?!?!
Clearly, few of you have seen this thing in real life. The one poster that claimed to said the rider, after dismounting, watched the thing to make sure it would not roll away. What a load of crap.
I did manage to see one of these up close a few weeks ago. The rider moved around for more than an hour, completely at ease, hands free most of the time, with astonishing agility, speed, balance, and coordination. He easily went from standstill to running speed (fast running) in about 15 feet, then abruptly stopped about 2 feet from a wall. This was in an enclosed room (about 25 feed wide), and done hands free. He also blended in to a crowd with what seemed like no problem at all -- the thing was hardly noticeable, actually.
No, I have nothing to do with Mr. Kamen or his companies (although I think his work with the FIRST competition makes him more deserving of my respect than any of you bums). Give it a friggin rest -- just because the guy is obviuosly smarter than any of you (or me) (and more intelligent, creative, motivated, and rich) doesn't mean we need to hold some kind of crazy grudge.
Yes, the thing got a lot of attention in the press. And it should have, too. It is an impressive bit of engineering, manufacturing, design. Couple that with a compelling story about what it can be used for, how it is better than a car in terms of social interaction, size, space, polution, danger, etc, and put that on the paper rather than yet another story about the latest stupid gadget ("Carry your 'wrist PDA' with you all the time" shouts USAToday).
</rant>
Okay, I think you just lost your credibility as a Paris expert.
He's obviously hoping to release this terror on the urban landscape, and make his profit selling new-fangled wheelchairs to the people injured because of the 'SegWay' :)
That, or get rich with an at-home stomach stapling kit, since nobody WALKS anymore.
Blar.
It does stairs. RTFA.
Again, it has follow mode.
Duh, it will be. How much were the first cell phones/DVD players/computers, etc.?
There was an episode of Sixty Minutes II recently where they had Kamen showing a prototype Stirling engine that could also be used to purify water in remote rural villages while providing power to charge cell phones, Segways, etc.
The show didn't say when the engine would be available for sale. But I see it as a much greater achievement than the Segway and something that will change the world more than the scooter.
An experience of mine comes to mind when thinking of the effects of an ill-handled Segue-- The rollar rink. Yes, that place you haven't visited in ages. The experience? Being at the bottom of a multi-skater pile up. It hurt.
The point? Bodies absorb impact. hardened materials don't. It wasn't nessisarily the people falling on top of me that hurt, but the impact of their 5lb (or so) skates. Now don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the Seque can stop on a dime. It's a cool piece of technology. BUT, their operators are human. And I suspect Segues will be like communism-- Both tend to go wrong when humans are involved. People are idiots. On bikes. On powered motorscooters. In cars. And i will be waiting, yes, waiting, for the first idiot on a plastic/aluminum hardened Segue to maul a pedesterian on a sidewalk because he wasn't paying attention. Not only does he stand a good chance of being sued, but so does the state for enacting this idiotic mix of soft, mostly slow pedesterians who have to seriously try to break 5mph and the hard and heavy (skooter + body weight!) segue that effortlessly obtains it's top speed. Mark my words, that day will come and lots of people will find themselves either ass deep in lawsuits or out of court settlments.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
For a forum dedicated to recognizing advances in technology, there certainly are a lot of closed minded people here.
Would it be so hard to give an idea a chance? You know, people said this same crap about the car and the airplane...
And I really mean no offense to your Mom when i say this...
Her eyesight is bad enough driving a car? How about her reaction time? Attention span? One, if not all of these might not bode well for her motorized segue future...
You need a FREE iPod Nano
I have actually got to try one of these in the snow monday ( I also live in ManchVegas ). They handle surprisingly well, although I did lose control going down Central St on a patch of ice. The machine just kinda "slipped", for lack of better term, forward. But it didn't feel like I was going to lose control at all. Very impressive that it only happened once in about a 3 mile jaunt as well.
--The space between my ears was intentionally left blank--
Well, at least for U$S239 you can get thisc om /program/fixedPriceMod.cfm?do=detail&productID=66& categoryID=8
http://www.electric-scooters-electric-scooters.
and it even come with a seat!!
>Carrying capacity: 250-pound user
Well, I guess that cuts out at least half the American population!
Skiing? Check out The Independant Skiers Portal
people are too lazy to walk. On a more serious note however, I would never, ever own one of these things, even if they were to become something of a fad. Why? Because of the simple fact that God gave me two legs to move around. I could see certain applications where a Segway might be handy, but on the hold it is just as the article decription states - an overhyped, overprice toy.
And the masses cried out, "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0!"
I think you're confused. This is the most overprice toy ever: http://www.realdoll.com
I agree with you about the sweaty thing being a nice aspect, but what I whish we would do is, instead of making ways for us to get around without sweating, why don't we make it more convenient to clean up after getting sweaty? I live 12 miles from where I work, in Connecticut, so I know about traffic, and it is this traffic that makes me wish I could ride my bike to work, but being the profuse sweater that I am, I could not got to work once I got to work (did that make sense?) There is a company health club (really big company...) but it is 2.5 miles from my desk. If one of the bathrooms in my building (or even anywhere near my building) had a shower, I would ride my bike to work whenever there is no snow on the ground... but instead I sit in traffic getting pissed off, just like everyone else, and then I spend an hour exercising after I get home. Doesn't make much sense, does it?
"I'll have a Guinness, no wait, make that a Coors Light" -Grad student I work with, who shall remain anonymous...
We've had "Aggressive Inlines", now all the rich kids are gonna start the next craze, 'Aggressive Sedgewaying'.
Anyone with $5000 can dye there hair green and look a tit trying to do tripple 360 bone-outs down at the local ramp.
Plenty of merchandizing oportunity here:
Tony Dawk Pro Sedgeway for the X-Box anyone?
I bet you can even nick one in the next GTA.
Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated up.
I look at the Segway as a prototype. As the technology is tested and refined, it could be used in other forms of vehicles that could be beneficial. The future will tell.
Somebody mod the parent as flamebait. Mainly because he's baiting flamers with his penis-talk.
Weirdo.
Well, that or start eating celery.
"It was a summer's tale: Just a boy, his Linux, and a head full of dreams..."
assumption is the mother of all F@#$-ups
Fat Hash Dollar-ups? I don't get it...
They're able to use all of their bodies; they're not broken.
Obviously there are plenty of NIMRODS reading / replying to /. these days.
If you have actually used one of the Segways then you are qualified to judge it. (I have an until you have you really dont get a feel for how this will change things.)
For starters the Seway will carry much more cargo then a human can or a mountain bike can.
It is always refreshing to see such technically astute people bash a marvel of modern technology. Sounds like to me there are lots of folks that a) have never been on one, b) cant afford one (WAH WAH WAH), and c) dont really understand how this will change transport in large factories, cities, and large campuses.
Anyways always good too see that most people are still NIMRODS!
for those guys too lazy to walk and too single to need to be able to transport more then themselves.
If you have anything other then an infant ( and a baby backpack) it's useless to carry around your family with. I mean even if they make a version for 5 year olds, you won't be ableto cruise along with it because the children (won't someone please think of them ) won't be able to go as fast.
The price point is still too high. This thing should be manufacturable in volume for around $1000. Basically, there's two good wheel drives, an electronics board, a battery, and a case. The wheel drives are the only hard to make item.
As a tool for delivery people, this has potential. Maybe.
Hmmm...does it have a Mr. Fusion?
Seems to me you would have to charge the fucker everyday...where does that electricity come from? Oh that's right - the power plant isn't in your backyard - fuckstick.
I can't wait for the insurance companies to make this thing an insurance nightmare.
Ask and Ye shall receive
Fuck you, your ugly children, your slut wife, and the horse you rode in on.
Someone who makes broad statements about the intelligence of the entire population of a country probably fits the statement more themselves.
"It's also the most overhyped and overpriced toy ever..."
This coming from the owner of an Aibo.
C'mon Rob, you'd pay $1400 for a stupid plastic dog, but you think a transporter has no use or function? Thanks for your input, but I think I'll trust Jeff Bezos over you. He does know a thing or two about selling things...
Next, on the price, yes it's high, but we all know it will come down with greater mass production.
Yes, I have a (very) nice bike that cost less than half this, but bikes have their limitations. A lot of Americans seem to be forgetting that bicycles are not legal on most if not all sidewalks (for good reason). That leaves the street, which for many, is not a safe alternative. In my town, riding to work is a dangerous exercise. I do it occasionally in the warmer months but not without plenty of honks and screams (e.g. "Get the f*ck out of the road") from passing cars. (Even though bikes are legally allowed the far lane of traffic according to my state's laws)
The segway, on the other hand, IS probably safe for sidewalks, since it maneuver like a human and not like a bike, scooter, etc. This isn't about exercise folks. You CANT ride a bicycle in a busy pedestrian path without running over feet and hitting people. Ditto for rollerblades. Dean and friends probably would have made a human-powered one if they could have, but that wasn't really a design point.
It pains me to see everyone scoff at it without knowing anything about it or actually having seen/ridden it. There are probably more engineering man-hours into this thing than in the average human lifespan, and by some of the best engineers in the country. Reading the spec sheet is like reading about the space shuttle. C'mon, at worst case, this is the ultimate geek toy, and at best, it might be useful to a lot of people in a lot of places in the world.
$5000 of course is way too high, but I might pay $500. Maybe by then it'll be stirling powered as well. In the mean time, I'll wait to criticize until I have actual facts. Oh yeah, I guess this is slashdot. Nevermind then...
... about this thing is to have it include a radio that supports OGG.
Forget the whales - save the babies.
I'm not so smart.
I had the chance to see Dean Kamen riding one of these at graduation in May. They look really cool and he had no problem navigating the crowded gym on it. He didn't hit anyone. And he said look what I can do and I didn't even graduate college.
It's called a bicycle. It's proven technology, costs about one tenth of a Segway, is much more comfortable (you don't stand on it, you sit), doesn't need to be charged, can be locked outside, etc., etc...
No, he started at 0. Bad karma and all. Like the +1 Bonus.
Incidentally, I lost all my respect for Corvettes after I saw one with a type-R sticker. I'm sticking to lusting after classic Mustangs. At least you can trust them not to cruise around with an automatic transmission trying to spin their tires.
The guy did make wheelchairs before this thing. That kind of thing might have been what he was thinking about when he first came up with it.
and here I am using my legs like a sucker!
What's not to be worried about? Everything!
I'm missing something... How is it more efficient to use a bike trailer and your own power to tote around 100lbs of gear than to use the segway?
Is there some weight limit on the segway I'm not aware of, or are you unaware of the trailer option for the segway?
I live in Seattle, and the bike-couriers here are SOLID from runs in and around the hilly downtown. I'm in reasonable shape, but I couldn't haul anything up six blocks of hills.
-Zipwow
I don't know which is more depressing, that 2/3 didn't care enough to vote, or that 1/2 of those that did are crazy.
The APD are using these things. They look more intimidating on them than does a bicycle cop (though still not as impressive as the mounted police, which we no longer have here) or a cop on foot. It raises them over the heads of most pedestrians, which is probably useful. It also allows them to carry large amounts of gear more comfortably than on their belts, into smaller spaces than with a car. You could probably get a bicycle into most of those spaces, with a full kit in your panniers and wide tires for rough surfaces, but -really- tight corners, less than the turning radius of the bike, would be trouble. Our downtown isn't huge, nor particularly rundown, but we have (junior) skyscrapers within a few blocks of condemned, weedy areas with cracked-up pavement. One cop's beat could include both types of terrain. As for the chase--a good cyclist could outpace a segway and escape, but he or she could equally well outpace a cop on foot. I imagine the police coordinate these things by radio. Weather: Atlanta doesn't have to cope with snow more than two or three times a year; even my 'touring' bike tires can cope with our usual cover. We get whopping great ice storms, sometimes, which put half-an-inch of black ice on the road and scare even northern drivers into getting off the streets. I don't think the segway could cope with that. I'm not sure what could. It looked to me as though one could be happier in the rain on this gadget than on a bike--less spray-up from the road when you travel, body more vertical when standing still. That's just a guess, though.
... is near useless in hilly areas, cannot be operated in business clothing, is disregarded by motorists but should not be used on sidewalks, cannot be operated comfortably for more than a mile or two, etc.
Have you read the Moderation Guidelines Addendum?
and a segway wont make it up one hill.
.. the seg cant do anything NEAR that. it's very limited range and time makes it a toy.
they are inefficient litle turd mobiles. very little power, no range.. he said 8 hours
Sadly, the elderly don't get it. The Segway could be a liberator for a lot of them. The relative slowness would allow them to continue moving about independently after their reactions and vision has detoriated so far that they have their license revoked. I for one would much prefer to have grandpa on the sidewalk on a Segway going 9mph, rather than in his car putting everyone at a much greater risk.
Hopefully, the availability of the Segway might lead to medical doctors being less reluctant to revoke the driver's license from elderly people they have known most of their adult lives. They can now give them a good alternative that will suffice for most uses (visiting their family, going to the grocery store, visiting their friends). If you need to go far, you can drive a lot of taxi for the price of having a car.
Stop the brainwash
I have heard a lot of people speak of what a disappointment this product is. For me, it is a savior. I've been waiting two years for this product to come to market. Why, my wife has a serious heart condition and cannot walk long distances. Going to the mall, an event that most people don't think anything of wipes her out for a minimum of one day. Our usual trip is going to one side, and then driving to the other side. Anything that is left in between is often left out. Many people think that people with disabilities have visible issues like a gimpy leg, etc. I've had people threaten to beat me up because we used a handicap-parking place even though we have a legitimate disability tag. Most people don't even stop to think, "Gee, this person may have had their chest pried open at 14 and currently has damaged valves, no pericardium, or a slow leek of blood to the liver." I thank the people that have developed this product. Maybe, I'll be able to take my wife to the Park, or Quincy Market without it being a near trip to the hospital afterwards. These people have just liberated my wife and opened a whole new world onto her. Thank you
On the November 13 edition of 60 minutes, Kamen showed a working stirling engine, and talked about how the three initial uses Deka was focusing on were water purification and cheap power source for third world countries, and an engine for the Segway.
Flout 'em and scout 'em,
and scout 'em and flout 'em;
Thought is free. - Shakespeare [The Tempest]
What's a joke? That's a car? Is that funny? Why am I not laughing? Why can't I reply? Who's in charge here?
Yeah, until they start making [as a co-worker calls it] "Admin Sized" versions.
Maybe they'll be like Jeep and have a special edition kinda like the Eddie Bauer Cherokee; but it would be the R.M. Stallman Edition Segway.
"Supports up to 400 lbs. Comes complete with cup holder and Palm cradle."
- I am made of meat.
And so many of them just happen to have first-hand info about the Segway. Or--are these all different anonymous coward posts just one or two people posting the same "Buy Segway" hype again and again and again?
will take your balance queues
s/queues/cues/g
...is disregarded by motorists but should not be used on sidewalks...
I feel really sorry for the first guy who runs into me ridding one of these things because he was riding it on the sidewalk at 10+MPH and stopped paying attention because he saw some hottie. I will beat the s#!7 out of him!
On the plus side, your comment made me realize possible positive side effects of this toys popularity... Maybe they will Segway lanes and the cyclists can use them...
"I'll have a Guinness, no wait, make that a Coors Light" -Grad student I work with, who shall remain anonymous...
Think about it. There is an extremely narrow range of "handicap" that leaves you still able to stand upright, balance, drag a 95 lb scooter around, etc. I don't think anyone would object if this tiny number of people used Segways.
Let's not overreact here people. It might make us look stupid later.
Random is the New Order.
Snow tires video:
... the first version is always very expensive, and evolves (usually) pretty quickly. I find it so ingenuine of people to discount the future of this based on its present (as if computers haven't "improved"!).
http://www.segway.com/video/snow.html
super cool!
I await mine with 'bated breath.
p.s. people don't seem to realize that this is the first version of a new technology
Yay.
Oliver's Law: Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
Fat Hash Dollar-ups are what the modz smoke! Get an account,post a couple of posts, and wait for that 'Congratulations!..' message, and then it's Fat Hash Dollar-ups all the way, baby!
IMO these would be much more helpful to old people than a Segway. And if you need one, your medical insurance pays for it, according to a TV commercial I saw there.
Yes, they ride them on the sidewalks--slowly. And they all seem to be bright red. It looks very cheerful!
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
Before you jump to any conclusions, please read Dan Bricklin's commentary based on his real life experience in riding a segway:
Thoughts before riding one
Impressions after riding a Segway HT: part 1
Impressions after riding a Segway HT: part 2 Especially note the sections "Isn't it just like a bicycle or a scooter?" and "How does a Segway fit in among regular walking and standing people?"
Wow! Modded down and heavily criticized for saying something is funny!
Exactly!!! And, before the C5 was introduced, there were lots of photos like that! What could they have been thinking? My pick for the world's worst marketing.
I looked at the specs on the company's website. It says that under 'ideal' conditions, i.e. billiard-flat perfect asphalt or concrete, no wind, no hills, constant speed, the thing can go 15 miles without recharging. The problem is, these 'ideal' conditions are rarely met in real life. Also, it doesn't say anything about the weight of the passenger. It only says that the maximum weight is 250 pounds. Now that's about my weight naked plus clothes plus shoes plus briefcase. How's that going to affect the range ? Are the specs valid only for, say 150 pounds people ???
Good trademark. "Because death is a part of travel."
They make it sound like people will be busting down doors for one. I don't know about you, but the price seems a bit steep to me.
I also had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes. It was a blast.
One of the points stressed by the Segway engineers who were demonstrating it was that collisions are not a big deal. To demonstrate, he drove toward a volunteer and hit him. The first thing that hits is the the handlebars, which are light. This causes the Segway to tip slightly backwards, which is a signal to the Segway that it should stop moving forwards and start moving backwards, which it did right away.
Another important point is that the Segway doesn't automatically go 12 mph. It goes exactly as slowly as you want it to go.
It has a small kickstand to hold it upright when you power it off, and seems to lean easily up against a wall, too.
It was pretty simple and quiet and fun. It doesn't seem to me that it will cause chaos on sidewalks, but it'll be interesting to see what happens.
Oh, BTW, a machine takes me to and from work each day (my Jeep,) but I haven't put on excessive weight as a result.
Body heat will be extracted via thermal probes at the conventional points used by thermometers. See South Park episode 511 "The Entity" for details.
I like so many of you had doubts about this product, but they were quickly wiped away as soon as I rode the segway. :( .
Yes, I have ridden the Segway TWICE! on seperate occasions. and once was in the development lab! (yes, i did see all the cool prototypes and such)
I live in New Hampshire and just happened to be in the right place at the right time, so dont ask how it happened.
I will undoubtably buy one as soon as I have the money (currently starving college student, so that may not be for a while
To answer some of your questions:
1. Speed is not an issue. In fact I doubt many user will use it at top speed. Think about it. If you are riding a bike in a city you will probably never go faster than 15 miles an hour anyway.
2. You cant really put a seat on it. Your body is crucial in controling it. which leads me to...
3. It is increadiably easy to learn. When I was talking to one of the guys who worked on it the only problem with new users, is overconfindance.
4. Yes, it is pricy. That is what I thought before i got a chance to try it. Now money is no object. When i have the money I will buy it, no questions asked. Yes I think it is that cool.
5. I dont know if anybody asked this but the keys are incrediably cool. Each key is made specifically for the user and you can have custom settings, such as sensitivity, top speed, accerleration and such.
The English C4 was a plastic explosive car. It was quirky in the English tradition. It died immediately after introduction.
I'm not convinced that this is an earth-shaking development, either. And it doesn't sound anything like what was hyped as Ginger, that is, if Ginger isn't the Segway... But who cares. This guy really shot his wad on the Segway-- if he comes up with something truly amazing, I'll be impressed when I see it running.
I think we need to consider an axiom of personal transportation: The skill required to operate a vehicle is proportional to how cool you look operating it.
Thus by making the Segway really easy to operate they gaurantee you look like a retard on it.
That's an interesting idea. One of the big problems with Segway is that it costs a lot of money for something that doesn't offer a huge value. However, when you're talking about golf, a certain fraction of the market is about conspicuous consumption and doing things for fun, among people who have disposable income. So they might sell to either the golfers or to the courses, and for golfing, they really are superior to $300 electric scooters. How much does a basic golf cart cost, though?
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Don't worry, ignorance can be cured.
That's not a seatbelt - it's a relective strip that you wear to improve visibity.
Cyclists older than first grade who ride on the sidewalk aren't safe - curb cuts, driveways, pedestrians, etc. are pretty dangerous, and cyclists are dangers to pedestrians. It's much safer for them to ride on the street, aggressively taking the middle of their lane, unless there's a bike lane available. Occasionally they'll get assaulted by cars (it's happened to me a few times), but then it cuts down on how often little old ladies stick umbrellas in their spokes.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
3) Pr... err... sorry, couldn't resist.
the segways are coming in, and they will accept them, even welcome them.
just get a few germans to drive them in, no prob. they will probably even have a parade.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
"...Segway believes it has enough manufacturing capacity to meet demand..."
considering that they'll only get oh, 16-17 of these sold, i'm not surprized.
f64 : dada m'dah dada
in the road.
Really, now. It may be an innivative design, but there are practical reasons why existing designs have their weels inline rather than parallel. Why would I pay thousands of dollars for an electric scooter that's got inherent design flaws the $400 ones don't? Sure hitting a big bump may be considered user error, but MS could claim its GPFs were the result of user error as well. How about someone release a $4000 scooter whose innovations relate to the power supply? That's where the real problem lies.
They have these things at U of Toledo all the time. The people that use them are a bunch of overweight, palid, bearded 40 yr. olds (our Unix admins??) They are pretty cool gadgets though..
As a member of the US FIRST robotics competition i'm a big fan of kamen. He really is taking the technology that has been developed in the past 20 years of the computer and technology revolution and put it into usefull machines. The segway is just another amazing step. Many of my friends on our robotics team got a chance to try it.(i was too busy fixing our robot) Everyone said it was amazing. The leaning people talk about is almost non existent. Its more like leaning to take a step. Oh and proof that i can be used everywhere. Dean Kamen was spotted going into the bathroom on the segway. We didn't check to see if he got off ;)
extremly cool. a razor scooter for adults. I see them on yachts (good bye 50cc moped headaches!) big motorhomes, campgrounds, large malls...
Replace car? no. replace soooters/mopeds/3 wheeled bikes? in lots of cases, yeah? If a company can cut a min wage mail delivery boy by putting someone on a segway, they'll do it...
Yes, comdex is really small it does NOT even fill the LV convention center. ouch.
JON
"you're" is a contraction of "you" and "are".
"your" is posessive.
I'm pretty sure we'll see companies trying to lease or rent segways to the end consumers similar to cars.
The news story we are commenting on is not "Segway invented." It is "Segway for sale." If someone is thinking about buying a Segway, that person should consider the speculation about reliability, insurance, state laws, public acceptance (whether or not the thing is *perceived* as safe). Because you could end up with a $5000 vehicle you use everywhere, or you could end up with a $5000 doorstop.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
It was by my own request. I actually had one run into me (at a low speed), and had it run over my foot (at a low speed).
This was to test the claims of safety that 1: the automatic braking stops the vehicle before momentum is transferred and 2, the wheels are large and soft enough to absorb most of the weight of the device.
I am pleased to announce that I still have full use of my foot, and it did not knock me down (I am a 6'1 man who weighs 150 lbs.) A wheel rolling over my foot hurt a heck of a lot less than if that same person stepped on my foot. And again, this thing is so agile and can be operated so slowly and carefully that it would be very hard to run over a foot by accident.
So people, conjecture all you like, and draw comparisons to bicycles and skateboards, but learn HOW this device works before you argue to ban it.
I've actually had it hit me. Can anyone else here say that? It has a rubber-padded handlebars that contacted my shoulder first. Contact with my shoulders forced it upright, whereupon it stopped immediately and broke no traction with the ground. These aren't skid-brakes, they are anti-lock regenerative brakes. Had it been going faster, it would have hit me with LESS force than a man travelling at the same speed.
People picture these things whizzing up and down a sidewalk at full speed, or picture bicycle speeds. A segway in crowded situations reqiures slower speeds than bicycles. But unlike bicycles that become uncontrolable at low speeds, the Segway retains control. I saw one operating in literally shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrian traffic at Disneyland. Children in front of it, and old folks to the sides of it, in a sea of people, and it was perfectly safe. Try that with a bike or skateboard. Anywhere it is safe to use a wheelchair, it is safe to use a segway.
The only things to worry about with these things is people who use them unsafely. But that's a personal responsibility issue, and a personal liability issue, and that exists already with bikes, skateboards, roller-skates, walking, etc. I'd expect the Libertarian Slashdot Brigade would at least accept THAT argument!
...and other countries with ubiquitous lanes for low-speed (scooters and bikes) traffic. In fact, city-dwelling Western Europeans in general would likely welcome the Segway much more willingly than Americans. No knee-jerk bias towards cars.
Does anyone know if I can get these with snow tires?
It defies logic (as I previously knew it)
I'd love to ride one, however considering how limited interest is in the US, I dare say we'd be lucky to get more than 5 in Australia over the next few years, plus I doubt any of the owners of these will be willing to let all the curious ones have a go..
bugger!
i don't know how long they've been out, at least in prototype, but where i live (alexandria, VA a couple miles outside Washington D.C.) there was a guy riding one on halloween night. i didn't get the chance to talk to him, but i was quite amazed by the sight. right now i'm in the process of tracking him down to ask for a ride. i'm savin' up for one myself.
-"Hey, Baby. It's not a rash, it's textured love."
-nh
This is, of course, just the text version of a this fabulous cartoon.
Vettes are dumb cars anyway...
When will americans realise that sports and racing cars come from Japan and Europe and that they have no clue how to build a decent one...
Mock if you like, I think the Segway would be practicle transportation for me if it works as advertised. I live in San Francisco, which is very compact but which also has very steep hills and the worst traffic this side of Manhattan. The ability to travel up to 12mph, without regard for hills, would enable me to reach virtually anywhere in the city in a reasonable amount of time. Yeah, I could also ride a bike, but I'd get all sweaty going uphill, and who wants to get all sweaty in your nice clothes biking to work? Also, I'd be biking in traffic with cars whose drivers hate my guts for asserting my legal right to mess up the flow of traffic. Moreover, the bike may not be an option when I'm no longer young and fit.
Granted, most people in the US don't live in compact, densely populated, hilly cities. I just wanted to speak up for the people who do. The Segway might have a better chance in Europe and Japan.
Not in my book. I find this thing really great, the only problem being the seemingly low power supply. Here in Germany, Mercedes started to sell a card called a "smart" which is basically a tiny, light, cheap, two seat car. (Probably avilable internationally too, I am not an expert on cars.) First, everybody made jokes about them, but guess what - they sell! Why? They get people around, they are cheaper than normal cars, they need relatively little gas, and above all they are small and can park where normal cars do not have space.
;-)
Enter the segway. Yes, it's not for long distance travel and yet it's not for people who want to lug around a lot of stuff. But for those short-distance trips, it's perfect. Especially in the US - When I was in southern Maine, we would drive everywhere, even if it was just 5 minutes away, simply because there were no real sidewalks (and way too much car traffic for my poor safety-loving European mind).
Also don't forget that a lot of people (especially the elderly) cannot walk well anymore, and while they still do not need a wheelchair, they are really not very mobile. Maybe a segway would be the perfect solution for them.
I do not see it replacing the car, mostly because you cannot transport anything with them that doesn't fit a backpack; but it might well take some load off of the roads and reduce some parking problems.
I'd be interested in buying a segway, ripping out the gyro control system and use it to finally get my battle mech to stop stumbling forward every three steps. :D
(no, really, jokes aside i think that artificial legs are the next step for the segway guy, and when that happens who's to make it so they don't also make an XL model with miniguns and a katana?)
How about getting back horses?
You see these things ALL OVER Tokyo...Cool!
**>>BELCH
I looked at the spec sheet for their Zoom 3 model, here's how it stacks up against a Segway's specs on Amazon.
Weight: Segway: 83 lbs Zoom: 96 lbs
Width: Segway: 25" . Zoom: 22"
Seat: Segway: no. Zoom: yes
Range on full battery: both claim 10-15 mi.
Warranty: Segway: 12 mo. Zoom: 18 mo.
Available: Segway: March. Zoom: now. Top speed: Segway: 12 mph Zoom: 3.5 mph
Price: Segway: $4950. Zoom: $1695.
These scooters, like Segways, are meant to be used on a sidewalk.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
I noticed the electric scooter sales started going up shortly after the announcement of this wonderful device.
Only the scooters are better designed for the avrage consummer. In otherwords they are cheap.
I've thought buy a new video card or buy a scooter. I ended up updating my PDA but I could do it on a whim.
The street legal scooters are bulky enough but I could pack it up and take it with me on the plane. Asumming they don't lose it in luggage I don't need to rent a car or take a taxi.
Eah but who am I kidding I don't like driving.
I don't actually exist.
It's been done.
http://www.futurehorizons.net/jetpacks.htm
f u cn rd ths u cn gt a gd jb n cmptr prgmng
Anyway, FWIW, I'm sorry that I was an ass.
Damn my lucky mailman/woman!!!!
We have the nations Postal Training Center in Norman (it's off Hwy 9).
My wife was doing some temp work there in college and got to meet the postmaster general. Everyone there thought it was cool. She was unenthusiastic to say the least. Kind of like meeting Nimoy when you're not a Sci Fi fan!!!
The net is like a vast sea of lutefisk with tiny dinosaur brains embedded
in it here and there. Any given spoonful will likely have an IQ of 1, but
occasional spoonfuls may have an IQ more than six times that!
-- James 'Kibo' Parry
- this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...