Slashdot Mirror
A Killer App For Segway
cameronk writes "The NYT reports that Segway is developing a growing popularity with people who are mobility-impaired. My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use a wheelchair, yet too fragile to walk. The Segway seems like an ideal way for him to maneuver about."
I don't know if Segway's lobbyist makes comments about the Segway not being intended as a device for the disabled in order to facilitate his task of getting governments to approve it's use on sidewalks. This is apparently a very controversial issue in many cities. To read about the sidewalk and pedestrian issues as well as Segway attempting to put down pedestrians fears that the sidewalks will be take over by Segway-riding disabled people, read more here:Segway or the Highway.
http://www.busyweather.com/
Just keep old Presidents off and everything will be fine.
My family was going to buy one for my elderly/ill grandfather, but we feared he wouldnt use it because it would make him look crippled/impaired in some way.
Call me and my voicemail! 914-713-6795. (wow, I have the balls to post my voip number on
What about using a cane? Worked for my grandfater....
Wasn't there a case awhile back were a Segway, if low on battery power, would cause the rider to fall flat on their face? While it's bad, I could see this turning very bad when there's a handicapped rider.
most elderly don't have very good balance. does riding a segway require any?
if it does, then that would not be a good choice of transportation for older people
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Just wait till the Segway runs out of juice while Grannie is going to the Kountry Kitchen. Lassie might have to tell Timmy that Grannie fell over because she forgot to plug it back into the wall.
Ok... they aren't safe operating cars... so how is a Segway any different? I think it would be worse because at least you have a car protecting you when Grannie hits ya.
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)... oops
Too frail to walk, but not too frail to crash?
Sounds more like to bored to walk.
I would love to have seen the look on the faces of the people who orignally claimed segway was everything from cold fusion to Ai when they saw the stupid scooter.
If you're talking about 94-year old folks, I'm not sure if you want to bill something as the "killer app."
Segway is developing a growing popularity with people who are mobility-impaired
Just bolt on a 3rd wheel, like the rip-off scooter linked here frequently, and you'll comply with the handicapped laws and you'll be entitled to ride on all the sidewalks.
The dynamic-balancing technology was licensed (by DEKA) to Johnson & Johnson first, for use on the iBot and any other medical applications.
J&J retains the rights to *all* medical applications.
So Segway has to specifically market it as a non-medical device and never seek FDA approval of any kind because then J&J could step in and make a ruckus.
In fact, if it can be shown that the Segway is largely used by disabled/mobility-impaired people, bad things could happen to Segway LLC.
I keep seeing people chastising Segway for not persuing the disabled market, but these are the facts. Even if they wanted to go through the lengthy and expensive medical review process, they simply can not because of their business arrangement.
> My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use a wheelchair, yet too fragile to walk.
I guess this time "Killer app" is kinda literal...
Best segway campaign ever.
tcd004
"My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use a wheelchair, yet too fragile to walk. The Segway seems like an ideal way for him to maneuver about."
But not too proud to use that ridiculous piece of shit?
Just wait untill there are gangs of partially disabled senior citizens roving around in packs forcing everyone else off the sidewalk, not caring who or what they run into and/or over. And then there's the Segway Centar which can only lead to who knows what kind of shenanigans.
What are you expecting to find here?
More like "stubborn". There is nothing wrong with a wheelchair. The problem is with the old man's head.
Wouldn't the old people still have to stand for extended periods of time?
hi
Thats probably not that big of a niche.
Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
The story on the iBOT from 1.5 yrs ago - for the extra cost I could see the iBOT as a godsend to someone who couldn't walk ... its operation is similar to the segway, but it has 2 retractable wheels that lower down to hit the stairs - very cool.
Enabling in the sense that it enables laziness. Rather than being forced to get some exercise, people are told to get a "scooter". It's a powered wheelchair. A scooter is a skateboard with handlebars.
For the genuinely disabled, a wheelchair is the difference between thriving and rotting. Most Segway ownere I see are just too lazy to do their own walking.
I see a lot of obese grandmothers, age 55, riding around on these things with their nose in the air, and I remember something I heard an old Irish country doctor tell an elderly patient: "You don't want to lose your walk. Once you lose your walk, everything goes."
sigs, as if you care.
http://origin.www.segway.com/centaur/
Ride securly on 4 wheels, but chuck the occasional wheelie to look cool.
-- All your bass are below two Hz
and dont be a dick. Theyre great, and I wish I could afford one ATM. Especially the 4x4 model ;)
This is the price we pay for not commercializing and industrializing the most extreme of urban commuting."The Mobile Sidewalk" has only happened in the most technologically developed parts of the world like JAPAN and, um, Las Vegas.
Long live the Segway, and its Right of Way.
--Period
You are about to give someone a piece of your mind, something which you can ill afford...
Global destablization? I don't think I'd put Grandma Milly on one of these...
because my batteries are like, dead. hahaha
Fuck you for not laughing.
"And now, Frank N. Furter, your time has come. Say 'goodbye' to all of this, and 'hello'... to oblivion!"
I think it would be useful for slashdot to include an icon next to all links that require registration in lieu of a blurb, "soul-sucking registration required." Or in this instance, being disappointed upon clicking the link.
My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use a wheelchair, yet too fragile to walk.
Segways is too complicated, might I suggest a better solution?
Clicky.
Then click the link from there.
.
And once again, the "best page in the universe" provides us with another gem on this subject http://maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=segway_more_com plicated_than_it_needs_to_be
Farmers markets here we come....
Not too elderly friend of mine (he's 64) and his wife rented Segways in DC. Now, just so you know he's not a complete klutz, he and his wife go dancing several nights a week. So, he's on this thing for less than 15 minutes, drops his left wheel off the curb, and is thrown a good four feet into the street. Helmet on, otherwise would have smashed his skull against the pavement. As it was, narrowly avoided being run over by a car, had a dandy and debilitating bruise over much of his left hip, and has no interest in ever getting on one again.
And without the fancy gyros needed, it could be built a lot cheaper.
I think this is a good thing; some people lose mobility because they're not so immobile that they couldn't use something like this, but they are either too proud/vain/in denial/whatever to use a traditional wheelchair/electric scooter (of the disabled variety), or they can't afford the lifestyle (Buy a scooter? How are you going to get it in your car to get to work, or the grocery store or whatever). A car with a wheelchair lift costs $45,000+, but it's much easier to put a Segway in a non-adapted car.
Don't forget, the gyroscope-stabilization tech used in the Segway was originally developed for the iBot, an electric wheelchair. The iBot is nice because it raises you to a height where you're at eye level (trust me, you don't miss it 'till it's gone) and is able to climb stairs and curbs. The downside? It costs around $30,000 - and, as I mentioned in the parent, getting a car that it (or any other wheelchair) can be loaded in without help in is incredibly expensive.
*(with 2 years of software development time, not for use around the frail or infirm, your electric bill may show unexpected increases, void where prohibited, your milage may vary, not responsible for reactions of household pets, not responsible if you install optional Death Ray appendage)
"Like fire and fusion, government is a dangerous servant and a terrible master."~RAH
It's too bad this story didn't come out a week ago. Christopher Reeve might have walked again before he died.
I have had the luck of actually being able to ride on one of these for about 10 minutes about a year ago. They are incredibly easy to use once you get used to trusting it....however...I would not recommend getting it for anyone who has trouble walking up steps, or has a bad sense of balance.
I found it a bit tricky to get on at first, because unless you're pretty careful, the thing tends to start moving before you're ready for it. Also, it really doesn't take much to get it to move forward or backward, so not having a good sense of balance once on it could send you in directions you're not expecting.
Don't get me wrong, I loved riding the thing and I think after an hour or two of riding and steering it around I could have mastered the thing. But I am 25 years old, and have a decent sense of balance. It was not a problem for me to control. The thing is very heavy though, and once you're off and the motors are disengaged it is very tricky to load in a vehicle or "park" in the corner.
Perhaps not the best thing for an elderly person. A walker or a cane, or even a wheelchair would be more suitable, not to mention that all three of those things are welcome inside most places (I have yet to see a Segway driving through the grocery store). But for a younger disabled person who has strength to control it and deal with moving it around it could mean a whole new life and way of getting around.
I would love to buy one of these, it would pay itself off in a week just charging for rides!
The Segway's technology was adapted from wheelchairs that can raise up on two wheels for better mobility. It's what the technology was originally intended for, and the Segway really wasn't that large a departure from it.
As far as I'm concerned, anything that can take away some of the stigma of a wheelchair for those that can still stand, is a great thing.
I'm an idiot. Must get some sleep now. And I've got to lay off the sauce. I wrote the parent thinking about those stupid powered carts they call "scooters", but are just powered wheelchairs.
Sorry for wasting bandwidth.
sigs, as if you care.
thanks for this explaination, makes more sense now;
:-) and it took me no time to be quite mobile and reasonably proficient with the thing, including going backward, tight corners, etc. quite a bit of fun actually, not to mention going forward standing up at speed I haven't experienced since last time I was able to run; Balance was not an issue somewhat surprisingly, and I felt quite safe on the thing. Range is a tad limited, but still a lot more than what I can confortably walk, so this would not really be an issue;
I am not old, well, not terminally so, but crippled nonetheless; I walk with crutches, don't have a very good balance, and am quite limited in the distance I can walk confortably; a wheelchair is not really an option; it took me long enough to get rid off the darn thing and it has other limitations (despites ADA and all that, few places are really accessible, and standing up does have a number of advantages such as physiological (digestion, blood circulation, etc. works better), it opens up bunch of places otherwise not accessible, helps in interacting with other people on an eye to eye level, makes a big difference, etc); electric scooters (three/four wheels, grany style) are pretty limited too (not really practical or manoeverable, just saves a bit of effort), and anything marketed as 'mobility' devices costs more than what most people spend on a car.
I did get a chance of trying one of these Segways (I just sent them my email and they told me when the next demo was taking place nearby) and was impressed; the Segway guy doing the demo did show me how to get on the thing safely (you know, when/how do you drop the crutches
The thing though is that 5 grand (at the time) was a bit steep so I passed on the idea;
Anyway, the Segway could never be marketted as a device 'for the disable'; to do so, they'd have to make it a lot heavier, and bulkier, limit the range further, add a lot of chrome, look at wheelchairs and crutches, chrome everywhere, that's what the likes of them like I tell you, gimps gear has to be heavy and shiny, replace the batteries with the electric wheelchair kind (that leak acid, don't last long and cost a lot more), modify the look so that no 'normal' person would ever want to be seen even dead riding one (though some on this forum might argue that this is already the case:) and of course double/triple the price; nothing short of that could possibly satisfy the FDA.
Accidents, injuries, and deaths arising from this new mobility product are inevitable. At Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., we stay at the forefront of new litigation. Our personal injury lawyers are prepared to handle any case that may arise as a result of a Segway accident.
You can read the rest here
They even have a picture of the Segway on the page and details about how the Segway works. Their "motto" is We stay at the forefront of New Litigation."
http://www.busyweather.com/
I saw an old guy cruising around a big park in Vancouver on a Segway. He was having a pretty good time, since he could move through the crowd much easier than if he was in a wheelchair. He even had a yappy dog in the front bucket of the Segway, that was also having a ball. I can see how it would work for older people, particularly as motorized wheelchairs cost thousands of bucks anyway.
For the record he's thin as a rail and still has reasonable mobility, although he could never walk this distance daily. The Segway's replacing a car in this case ... and affording the old sport a far more sociable experience than a car ever could.
I think it's safe to say that most folks in my town would be very puzzled by the anti-Segway sentiments on Slashdot.
Bush can't even ride it.... stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2989000
but then again he can't even ride a bike..
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/05/22/bush.fall/
irc.enterthegame.com #linux
Sometimes 2 wheels are better. But for disabled people I would go with 3 or more.
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
is an easy way to get a Segway. Convince your elderly relatives to buy one, then after they pass away(perhaps from segway induced injuries), bam, say hello to your slightly used inheritance:)
My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use Apple, yet too fragile to use Linux. Windows seems like an ideal way for him to maneuver about.
If hes too fragile to walk then hes probably too fragile to fall off a moving Segway.
I also have ridden a Segway for about 15 minutes and that thing has a learning curve. While younger people will adapt, I could see the elderly having a problem. I was very wobbly at first and you have to find your balance in order to make it work.
They are also very sensitive to subtle movements, so if grandpa takes his hands off the controls to point at the Country Buffet, the Segway can get into a rider induced vibration and shake violently back and forth. You can bet Grandpa would be flat on his back after that.
Pride= stubborness. Not a phsycial problem. Not insightfull.
What a great idea for a fragile old man who has trouble walking - stick him standing up on a gyro-balanced thing that walks faster than we ever could and hope he doesn't manage to fall off.
11*43+456^2
"My family was going to buy one for my elderly/ill grandfather, but we feared he wouldnt use it because it would make him look crippled/impaired in some way."
I find that carrying an AK-47 discourages that perception.
"Besides, there's a shitload of old farts in a hell of a lot of one horse towns out there. :-)"
The horse could be thought of as the "segway" of the "old fart's" day.
"I see fat people."
"Where?"
"All around."
And, more and more of the people using scooters appear to be simply "weight impaired." Maybe Segway can come up with Super-Duty, Ford-Truck-Tough units for people that 'don't want no stinkin' exercise.'
Yes, yes, a few of them are legitimately impaired.
Yes, yes, according to ME.
There seem to be a lot of people here who have never ridden a Segway but are quite comfy voicing opinions on how safe it is and how we should keep the elderly off them - no sense in letting them have any fun!
First, they addressed that low battery tipping thing early on, now I bleieve they have a number of warnings and I think it also slows to a halt if the battery gets too low.
Secondly they have a power-assist mode so they can scoot themselves up curbs and over into corners even when you're not on them.
Thirdly you can go as slow as you like - but at least you have the option to go faster. The Segway would give you a much more practical range than a wheelchair as it can go faster where it is safe to, and also fits more places than a wheelchair does.
When I'm 90 (or 190) I know which I would prefer if I need some assitance getting around.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Catching a clue? She may not be too stable on her feet but in a game of dodgeball Grandma Milly would probably make Kerry cry like a little girl.
The Segway... can fuck?! 8o
That'd explain why Grandma's been pining for one so much...
Using a mobility device to give mobility challenged people mobility. Gee, how fucking novel. Patent, anyone?
I'm not sure if that punt was intended or not, but I'm sure with this headline in the news, it'll be a bit harder to convince those senior citicens to get on one of those!
who | grep -i blond | date cd ~; unzip; touch; strip; finger; mount; gasp; yes; uptime; umount; sleep
Seems to me that when a new technology comes along, you should not just ban it by default. You should examine it. Warn people you fear it might be risky, and see if it actually causes a problem.
If it does cause a problem, fix it, or if you have to, ban it, but not before. Like people, the tech should be innocent until proven guilty.
Yes, Segway used some sneaky lobbying but I understand why. The rules for old tech said "no motors on the sidewalk." They developed a whole new kind of motorized vehicle and claim it's very different, so why not give it a shot?
One place I can see the device making a difference is in hilly cities like San Francisco. It could replace the cable car for many people. Yes, it's good for you to hike the hill but for those that live on the top, the hill does reduce the trips they make down to the valley, or they take a car, and this on the sidewalk would be better.
Of course, in many cities outside the USA, the streets are designed for non-cars. In Beijing, the streets mostly have a central car lane, which has a barrier between it and the bike and parking lanes, and then there is the sidewalk.
That's what we should have here, and the Segway could go in the bike lanes no problem. And other electric vehicles too.
Has it been over a year since you last donated to the Electronic Frontier Foundation
A person's inability to balance was one of the driving reasons behind the Segway. The technology in the Segway started in the Ibot, nicked Fred Upstairs (after Fred Astaire, hence "Ginger") that was a 4 wheel, self-balancing device for people that would replace wheelchairs. It was able to climb up and downstairs, which is something otherwise chair-bound folk could not do. It had potnetial for people with all sorts of mobility limitations.
From the Segway site:
"One day Dean Kamen saw a young man in a wheelchair struggling to get over a curb. He thought about it, and realized that the problem wasn't ineffective wheelchairs, it was that the world was built for people who could balance. So he and his team created the Independence IBOT (TM) Mobility System, a self-balancing mobility device that enables users to climb stairs and negotiate sand, rocks, and curbs. But restoring balance also accomplished something even more dramatic--it elevated them on two wheels, so they could see the world at eye level. If balancing technology could provide such benefits to people who couldn't walk, what could it do for people with full mobility?"
So, at least the company started out with good intentions (and they may still have them) but funny how you don't see a lot of disabled people using them.
R(k)
...is that this old guy is the one and only Segway customer in the US.
Wait wait wait wait... These are the same people we don't want having licences, let alone 12mph 200lb maybe balancing vehicals. I mean, putting aside all of our saftey for the moment, I'd be seriously worried about theirs. I suspect any older person who can competently use it without fear of their saftey due to either mental or physical deficiencies doesn't really need one to begin with. i mean, putting aside the issues of balance, coordination, eyesight, hearing, frailty, judgement... Frankly, I'd rather em be in something that will keep them upright if they fall asleep suddenly.
Maybe a the last was a tad over the top, but you get the idea... Lawsuit freakin city. I've seen southpark and the old people episode as well as the segway anal plug episode. Oh. Hell. No.
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--Mitch Hedburg
I type text in this box so the lameness filter permits it to post, but in reality the first box was sufficient for my post's content.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Let's do it!!!" -Homer Simpson
Sounds like the segway is turning into a seniormobile, aka the "rascal". Kind of pathetic when the cost of the two is drastically different. I'd still rather have a segway though.
Tyler: You don't know where ive been, Lou. YOU DONT KNOW WHERE IVE BEEN!!
Anyone remember the story of his Segway crash? Take a look at http://www.google.com/search?q=Bush+segway&ie=UTF- 8&oe=UTF-8 to jog your memory.
So, I wouldn't call it a wheelchair replacement. Despite the machine's clinical look, a walker still might be a better choice.
A "killer app" involving old people and sketchy modes of transportation, I might get to collect on social security after all.
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 is the magic number.
"too proud to use a wheelchair..."
That's not pride... *True* pride is using whatever resources are available to lead life to its fullest, without feeling ashamed to show others we are different. It is a *lack* of pride that would lead a person to restrict his/her enjoyment of life and visibility in public for fear "normal" people see their differences.
(Speaking here as a disabled but not mobility-impaired person, that uses technology to its fullest as I need to lead my life. If others think I'm somehow inferior for not being a clone of them, well, that's a reflection on their own bigotry, not something I'm going to halt MY life over.)
Grandma got runned over by a reindeer, riding home on Christmas eve.. Oh wait, that's not right. Grandma got run over on her Segway, riding home ..
uh wait.. that's still not right
Grandma got run over by Segway, riding it one home after having one too many Peppermint Schnopps!
Damm! Segway really screws up this song!
There are also a *lot* of disabilities that make it possible to stand but extremely tiring to walk, and one can certainly be "genuinely" disabled without having a severe mobility impairment! Saying the technology that helps people like that is just "enabling" them to be "lazy" is revoltingly uninformed.
One simple example would be multiple sclerosis. Somebody with MS can be *completely* disabled considerably before they lose the ability to walk, and in fact often never lose it completely. Small amounts of activity can tire them out, so having something like a motorized wheelchair makes the difference between being able to do one short activity before needing to go to bed for the day, and being able to lead something resembling a "good" life. There are many other disorders with the same effect as well.
Some disorders also require sporadic treatment with drugs (like prednisolone) that can cause massive (usually short-term) weight gain. Other times, it becomes a matter of being so impaired on a daily basis that something as simple as taking a shower is a struggle that requires a nap afterwards. It's not surprising that people unable to gather enough energy to do more than shower would ultimately gain weight, especially if they are also put on one of the meds that causes tissue swelling.
I'm not saying all cases are like this. I'm sure that there are people that choose not to exercise, refuse to eat right, and really are just using scooters because they're overweight. But don't go around slamming all people using motorized scooters or similar for being "lazy" when you have no idea how many have a legitimate illness that makes their everyday lives harder than you can even *imagine* life being.
(recovering from spinal fusion surgery) I would love to have one of these. Walking is painful and difficult and I can only walk short distances before I have to stop and let the pain subside. I really could use assistance getting around.
I can't walk my dog, shop, or much of anything else without a *lot* of pain.
But, I despise those little electric carts. It's personally humiliating and embarrassing to me to have to use them.
But I can't walk around super wally world, no way. One of these, if I could afford one, would be much better.
My only real fear would be taking a spill and blowing out my $100,000 titanium hardware store.
And I would be concerned about older folks, like those in their 70's and up dumping out and breaking some bones. These things COULD be dangerous. Just ask DuMbya.....
Until he falls and breaks his hip. If you can't do the shuffle, don't do the hustle.
--
make install -not war
While I am sure Segways for the mobility impared is a fine application of a great technology, it's worth looking at the ultimate end. Replacing human walking with Segway 'wheels' will lead to a natural atrophy of the ability to walk. And who needs it any way. The Segway and machines like it will become ever increasingly integrated into our physique over sucessive generations. Until Mercy? What is Mercy?
My friend's Dad had a bad case of polio as a kid and has a rough limp because of it. He doesn't need a cane or anything, but there is no such thing as a walk for leisure/scenery etc. Then they bought a couple of Segways so that he could go with wife or one of the kids on rides around the neighborhood and through local parks. Of course, his kids also like taking them off-roading in said locales, but for the first time in fifty-odd years he can go out for a spin around the park without a painful limp. Good thing they aren't illegal on his sidewalks.
"Segway killer", but that would be redundant, wouldn't it?
Canes seem to be a simple solution. Unfortunately canes, especially those not set at the correct height, can cause the user to lean on them. This causes straining in the lower back muscles and vertebrae. Plus, it's a crutch of sorts, and there's just something unnatural about using a third leg as a solution to immobility. I'd like to see the studies that show what the long-term usage of canes and other such non-natural support apparati actually do to the human musculoskeletal system.
The Segway, on the other hand, relies on the natural balance of the human being. There's no leaning on canes or hobbling on cruches, just standing. That seems to be a paramount improvement on the low-tech alternative.
--sean
"[T]he single essential element on which all discoveries will be dependent is human freedom." -- Barry Goldwater
Weird.
_O_
.|< The named which can be named is not the true named
I think you meant, finally an app, period, for the blasted thing ...
ing to kill myself with. Imagine waking up every morning in pain, and forgetting what you did five minutes ago. Being an old man is no fun. Personally I hope I'll die when I'm 65-70.
gimps gear has to be heavy and shiny
For the luva Christ, stop talking this nonsense before some rep at Ford or Chrysler hears you!! We'd have to put up with them producing the DUV (Disabled Utility Vehicle), selling them to millions of elderly, who will run us young'uns over on the sidewalk on a daily basis. Of course, the DUVs will be exempted from all sidewalk-vehicle regulation.
[You have a stable society when some nut guns down a schoolyard and the law doesn't change.]
Should Slash Dot allow these obvious product plug postings? If someone does such a shameless plug, then there ought to be disclosure of what their interest is in the product in question. There is a level of inauthentisity about this subject.
Without a suspension, the first bump would make that ride would be WAY more intresting than I'd like (can you say 'launch'?)...
Seriously, a 60+ MPH Segway could be very interesting if it had a suspension including tires with sidewall flex, and a somewhat wider track. The gyro/balance system is supposed to take care of the need for a wheelbase, and I expect it could be tuned to be quick and dynamic enough to handle higher speeds (if it isn't already). Add some automated lateral leaning control to the longitudnal leaning control and suspension, and they'd really have something.
Incidental use of the product in question sounds like more shameless plugging. Here is another (possibly) made up story: "Saw an old guy have a heart attack on a (fill in product name that trolls are plugging here) near a swimming pool. Seems he leaned forward which made the (fill in product here) move towards the pool. A little infant screeeeeemmmeeed as he fell into the pool and electrocuted everyone in it." Remember the above story is just as phony as the marketing for this over-price product.
I've been reading a few places that the Segway, when used for long periods of time can be hard on the knees. You're putting your full weight on your straightened knees while going over bumps and curbs.
I've seen a few mini-scooters these days which let you sit in a near-upright position. You'd have to put your foot down or stand when you stop, depending on your mobility that might not be an option, but if that were the case, a Segway would be quite risky for you.
http://www.hailichina.com/cpjs03.htm
Yeah, I know, the Segway might even let you wander around a grocery store.
Why stand when you can sit?
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
if it can be shown that the Segway is largely used by disabled/mobility-impaired people, bad things could happen to Segway LLC
What about them building something like the recently slashdotted Segway RV concept model, something that was at the same time more practical than the bizarre and dangerous Segway? Such a device could easily compete with the overregulated and overpriced Ibot, so it sounds like they're in a bit of a bind. Anything that makes the Segway more practical could open them up to landshark attacks.
I'm quite sure that nothing prevents you from bending your knees in an optimal angle. Well, if I can do that when riding over bumps on my bike (to avoid hurting my ass), you can do it on a segway.
At $4.5K a shot, Segways are already ridiculously priced. Imagine the markup on them once the insurance industry labels them as "medical equipment." I paid just over $2K for my last wheelchair (ultra light, but not a sports model), for which insurance paid just slightly more than half. I would hate to think of the elderly or moderately disabled paying $6-8K for a Segway while we foot the bill through increased medical insurance premiums and higher Medicare costs.
A while ago I remember hearing about the potential of this use for the segway when I read an article about disneyworld and segways
Apparently, they will rent you a segway, but you can't bring your own.
"I forgot my mantra."
My 94 year-old grandfather is too proud to use a wheelchair, yet too fragile to walk.
He's 94 years old! He's too proud to be seen in a wheelchair, yet he wouldn't be too proud to be seen on a Segway? I'm 33 years old, and I would rather be seen in a wheelchair than a Segway.
Hey, this reminds me of the joke, "What do fat chicks and mopeds have in common?"
Your logic is flawed. They are definitly leaning on something (handlebars), not standing. Also, standing for prolonged periods is difficult and causes problems for people who are not disabled (any cashier can tell you this). I can't imagine this is truly a better solution for disabled people, maybe a cooler or more psychologically acceptable, but there are real studies that prove the damage long term standing in one spot can do to the human muscoskeletal system.
Cheap storage VM.
What numbnuts come up with these ideas I have to ask?? The Segway's 2 wheel setup is a pure gimmick, nothing more, and a dangerous one at that. If there's a need for small motorised vehicles that let the controller stand upright in the elderly and disabled communities, make one that has 3 wheels for crying out loud. Putting physically unfit people on a inherently unstable vehicle is pure idiocy.
Or did microsoft patent the tripod recently?
I've seen the disabled woman who rides the DC Metrorail who used a Segway until it was banned, which I think is sad.
Have you seen the footage of "The Leader Of The Free World" falling off his Segway? It looked like a pretty violent fall. If an old man did that he'd be seriously injured. If his cheerleading instincts hadn't taken over, W could have been seriously injured. Twice now the US has been close to having Cheney as president. Once with the pretzel, and once with the segway.
Anyhow, unless you're getting the segway for someone who can still jump like a cheerleader, I think they could get seriously hurt.
Turn your product from an expensive toy into the next hoveround. As if their image problem wasn't serious enough.
Best. Prom. Ever?
it works in Vice City, why not disable Nerdways with them?
Imagine the scene of someone losing power to their Segway and traveling at 60 mph.
Yes, this could be a serious problem, since they apparently power the machine and the balance mechanism off the same source. Which loses power first, the drive or the balance mechanism? I suspect the drive would lose power first, since it requires more amperage than the sensors and control circuitry.
Nevertheless, I think they'd need a redundant power source, continuously running diagnostics, and forced shutdown (or preferably slowdown) if the balance mechanism starts to lose power or accuracy. Probably would require an entire redundant balance mechanism. But hey, chips are cheap, right?
I do my best to make sure your claim is untrue.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Why not just use a Rascal?
Gee, given the subject the original poster, I really can not fathom them really giving a care what moderation you bestowed upon him or her.
One would assume the Segway doesn't solve all balance problems, but it seems to significantly enable those with impaired balance or coordination.
The motorised cart is too bulky and awkward to be used as widely as a segway could - not to mention the LOL factor of being a non geeky old style tech - and finally the wheelchair - which besides being very low tech (Stephen Hawkin's chair not withstanding) - is very poorly designed, and uncomfortable as well.
The answer seems to be lets build something that can be used and combines the best qualities of all three of the systems above.
Suppose for a moment - we take the bottom of a segway - ie the wheels - motor and balancing technology; computers and batteries. Set it in a large cross with a segway wheel at each corner.
Use this as a base for a pedestal type office chair - which could be a ergonically designed chair - simular to high end office chair set in the middle of the cross to rotate elevate up and down from a control stick on one of the arms.
Think Herman Miller Areon chair - sitting on a four wheel chassis - controlled by a joystick.
With a hydralic cylinder in the chair - it could be raised to eye level or lowered to seating position - with the stability gyros of the segways in the base keeping everything upright, and controlling the wheels for direction and power. You could litteraly turn on a dime.
A while back - there was a pciture of the four wheeled Segway that was being bandied about the internet. (I think it's called the Pegasus) - which looked a little like a cross between a ATV and a mountian bike - with a saddle thrown on it.
Use that as a base for the chair - and build the chassis with a hinge in the middle so that when the hydralic cylinder pulls the front and rear wheels together - it raises the chair up.
Control it all with a joystick and buttons on one of the armrests and you would have a true Disability Assist Device (DAD)!