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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.