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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."
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.
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.
Like anything else, even a failsafe can fail. It's possible that a chip went bad, or a battery internally shorted near the low limit of the safe charge level, or any number of other problems.
Besides, the progenitor to the Segway is a four-wheel ATV model that was designed to be a smarter stair climbing wheelchair. If they get them approved as medical devices, with all four wheels on the ground it's likely to be as safe as any other electric wheelchair.
modified with larger, and more stable, gyroscopes
g y/maney/2003-06-17-segway_x.htm
My understanding is that there are no mechanical gyroscopes in a Segway. The Segway is balanced dynamically; the computer senses forward or backward motion, acceleration, center of gravity, etc., and maintains verticality by rapidly and almost imperceptibly turning the wheels to counteract tipping forces.
GWB tried to get on when the thing was not turned on. See http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technolo
Send lawyers, guns, and money. Dad, get me out of this.
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.
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/