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Crossing America on a Segway
Harald Paulsen writes "What do you do if you are tired of working in a cubicle and want to escape the Office Space? Two guys asked themselves this and decided to go across America on a Segway, making a documentary of their road trip. A trailer is available and the movie might show up at Sundance."
What did they do for the long stretches without a place to recharge?
People have been doing this on bicycles for years.
If you're crossing America on a Segway, you'd definitely need a trailer...
that paint they where watching must of dried, perhaps counting white lines in the center of the road is more fufilling
did they just use them on highways? I doubt an unmodded segway is street legal, they're too slow.. but how else do you cross America?
Combine this trip with the idea of the million-dollar homepage selling pixels, and you would get a inkjet-printer equipped Segway printing commercials of the sponsors on the asphalt all the way from Seattle to Boston.
Hope they kept it away from the White House, I heard Segways aren't too welcome there.
On a more serious note, FTA:
"Our focus turns now towards Sundance and some other strategies for the film. We have some exciting things in the works, but can't discuss yet. So, we've been advised to keep the promotional stuff to a minimum."
Advised by whom? The law team of the company that will be promoting the movie for Sundance etc? Or perhaps the marketing team, to keep from stealing the thunder of a theatrical release?
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Wow, Dean Kamen (of DEKA Research & Development, the inventor of the Segway) is a PR genius. I'm sure he is behind this somehow. I used to work in a building in Manchester, NH next door to his office. He was always getting press on various things long before the Segway was announced. He got press on the Segway before anybody knew it was going to be called the Segway or what even what it was.
Bradley Holt
These guys posted clips from their appearance on Fox News and CNN last August, and have had video Ipod feeds available since October. I'm glad to see such current news.
.....they also appear to have hosted their website on a Segway.
as for making a movie about their experiences - well, it probably won't be Easy Rider.
If they cut a deal with Branson/Virgin, all they'd have to do is where jackets with "Virgin" in them, have the "Virgin" logo put on the segways, and a photo shoot with Branson.
My fiance and I just got back to the SF bay area yesterday afternoon, completing a 7000+ mile road trip across the country and back again. Read about it here if you're curious.
Wait... TWO guys on a Segway?
Well, that'll get this documentary an NC-17 rating if anything will.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
GWB going across iraq on a segway? he could be sponsored by pretzels :)
-AlexC
It looks like their site is just as slow as a segway now :)
-Mark
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable and intelligent way to cross the Nevada badlands...
I think it would be interesting to see a comsumption analysis for the trip in terms of oil. (Setting aside, for the moment, coal-genereated power, etc.). Perhaps the Segway vs. a bicycle vs. an efficient motorcycle vs a hybrid car.
Can you imagine how long these two had to stand? At least on a bicycle you can sit on the seat. Perhaps slap on a Segway hack to give the driver something to sit on?
-- Stu
/. ID under 2,000. I feel old now.
I'm sure I could pop down to the shops in an F1 car but what would be the point. Use tech for what it's good for please.
The idea reminds me of The Straight Story, which was a really charming, honest, pensive film.
Another person who got sick on the ill effects of a modern American life has decided to do the same thing. He decided to walk across the US to cure his lifestyle induced weight problem. The ultimate iteration of the gym coach's "walk it off":
http://www.fatmanwalking.com/
I would've driven around a USB-powered scooter that is connected somehow, fantastically, to a Beowulf cluster.
I know I'm lame, but I'm consistent, and lame.
IGB: More fun than eating oatmeal!
When I was taking my parents up into the Rockies in September (they were out for a visit and dad had never been), we were at a pull-off on the road up to Mt. Evans when we saw these guys. They told us they were mostly done with the filming, but had come back to Colorado to get a little more material they needed for part of it. One guy with a camera and a big van was filming another guy on a Segway. They'd chosen some particularly beautiful scenery as a backdrop, which I imagine was the point. Anyway, I guess my point was that the format for their filming was Segway + Big Van, not 2 Guys + 1 Segway.
n/t
...like two guys on a Segway. Even if they stopped for a night of recharging on Brokeback Mountain :)
This is a Fourth Grade Math Problem
You don't need two morons on a Segway to figure this one out.
Wait, I can't figure out if as a Slasdhot reader I'm supposed to support this endeavor or fanatically oppose it!!!! Can anybody tell me if Segways are Open Source or not? That will clear things up.
http://festival.sundance.org/filmguide/Default.asp x
All films and filmmakers aspire to go to Sundance, only the slimmest minority actually make it there. And since this film isn't on the list, one can only assume that this film did not make it in.
There are other festivals in Park City that are concurrent to Sundance, Slamdance being the most famous, and this film might be playing at one of those.
From the BBC Series Ripping Yarns.
ENOTEA
How about something that runs on more than just Windows and a Mac? I hear that a few people on this site might run Linux or *BSD.
But would it run Linux?
(Correct response -- if's a Segway, then yes, just slowly.)
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
these guys are really lame, their concept sucks, and any company who would sponsor them is a joke.
Why? Because it seemed they had the 'screw the working world' thing a little too planned. What was the original concpet anyway? 'Dude, i wanna ride a segway across the country?' Or, 'Dude we could make a ton of money if I take my trust fund and made a film of you riding your segway across the country on a journey of self-discovery.'
It was more like a business venture than a journey of self-discovery. Plus, does it even count as a journey of self-discovery if they had it all paid for in advance? And, do documentaries do 're-shoots' regularly?
And, c'mon...a Segway??? They could have at least put a little bit of technical information about their trip...did the guy actually ride the thing at 10mph the entire trip? If so, how did he manage to actually do that? If not, how did they mod?
Thank you Dave Raggett
So did Dean Kamen have film documentaries in mind when he made the "society-revolutionising" statement?
Prove it.
The file has been mirrored to this location : for 24hours.
My generation's defining film - two guys do a big cocaine deal, drop out of society, take drugs and have sex with beautiful women while crossing America on outrageous Harley choppers (Easy Rider)....your generation, two dorks on Segways...
There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.
I can't imagine someone eating a Segway, can you?
BTW, RY is out on DVD, finally.
I was told this movie had robots in it!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
A new TV show based on the old one which starred Martin Milner and George Maharis. The premise was they traveled RT66 in a Corvette to discover America. The new one could be two dorks on Segways doing the same thing.
http://www.tvparty.com/route1.html
If anyone has taken a kid to Disney World, you know that you do a LOT of walking. My feet hurt more after my time on the Segway than they did chasing a 5-year old around Magic Kingdom all day.
So while this may seem "lazy" and easier than walking or riding a bike, I can't exactly imagine a less comfortable way for an able-bodied person to travel a long distance. That said, I'd still love to get one.
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
yup, a bike seat is comfortable if you spend good money on a decent one and adjust it right. It's part of a piece of sports equipment not a lounge chair. But fit it right and work with it and can feel just fine, like a good pair of running shoes does for an athlete. If you've not cycled for 20 years then don't expect to get on Lance Armstrong's bike and be as comfortable as he is. Probably horse riders say the same thing about saddles.
I guess the alternative is to do no exercise at but I've heard that folk who have medical conditions and sit or lie down all day end up with bed sores from even the most expensive armchairs and mattresses...
I'm still riding a Razor scooter, you insensitive clod!
I saw this trailer at least a year ago. What's up with that?
Reporter: Why are you doing this?
Josh Caldwall: I just felt like Segwaying!
If big boobed women work at Hooters do one legged women work at IHOP?
would make me buy the movie.
That other person is President-VICE Richard B. Cheney (soon to be ex President-Vice).
Seditiously,
Kilgore Trout, M.D.
I mean, what's wrong with travelling on a good old fashioned Gerund anyway ?
I find the Segway concept cool, but I also find this particular use a bit silly. Seriously, America has a problem with obesity, and activities like this only make it worse. An article in last week's Time (Or was it Newsweek? I forget) points out that personal transportation devices like Rascal scooters are becoming more and more popular, and are definately NOT helping people to keep their weight down. When it comes to your joints, muscles and overall health, "use it or lose it" is the general rule.
I'm far more impressed with people who cross the country on unicycles. That takes some serious determination.
From the pictures on the website, it looks like they used I-series Segways: the p series is smaller and is mainly used indoors. Now depending on the battery and the air pressure in the tire, it can go between 15-25 miles. If the tire pressure is the recommended 15psi, then the NiMh batteries will go about 15-16 miles (higher tire pressure will allow the segway to go further) and the newer Lithium batteries will go about 22-23 miles (once again depending on tire pressure). When I got my Segway training, I was surprised to find out how important tire pressure was to its performance (I work at a science center and teach people how to ride them). If they did this last summer, they should have gotten the Lithium batteries: I would feel sorry for them if they got the NiMh batteries as they don't work as well under hot conditions, and additionally, you should let the battery cool off before you charge it (and drain it once in a while too). The lithium batteries are much more forgiving.
while traveling through the middle of the Nevada desert? That would be a rough awakinging!
Running with Linux for over 20 years!
Are they cutting straight across, or being selective about where they go? Somehow I can't imagine them getting very far crossing certain city centers...
The Straight Story
The guy's still a genius. And using his intellect to invent things that help people (if you can ignore the Segway for a second, look up what else he's invented. Special wheelchairs that climb stairs, pumps for medical use, etc).
Who cares if he's lousy at PR and/or public speaking.
It looks like their server is a Segway as well. :(
trying to change your life by riding a segway pass some cows across America? I would rather see a segway version of jack-ass...
I fucked up the math. /me runs with tail between legs.
"The Segway Diaries"
Thanks for the IMDB link to this completely irrelevant movie! I was wondering where that was.
Day 30: Batteries are dead and we're in the middle of Nebraska. Started walking.
http://www.10mph.com.nyud.net:8090/
When money is the master metric, all manner of madness is manageable.
Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
make sure they are in the proper positions (with respect to each other ;-).
Makes real heros like Terry Fox or Rick Hanson pale in comparison doesn't it.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
VNR's are really common, and the big deal here is that they appear to be news but are really pushing an adgenda. Funny how the administration is using them so much.
Returning your products for service has reached a new low!
This page shows what appears to be a man in prison jumpsuit colors firmly perched on a 1 wheel motorized device (complete with a parts list and source code!).
Three cheers for prison reform! 'Cause...dang....our state just has stone breaking, weight lifting, bike repair and woodshop!
Well, then there's that new sport those two cowboy fellers are doing to each other while goat herding in that there new movie. Bare back? Broke back? Cum back for more? Anyway, one of those things.
Maybe it is a little bit of sour grapes, but does anyone really think the Segway is ever going to be used by the disabled and aged people of the world (or the mailman)? So far I've only heard of them being used by 1)polo players (woz invented it), and now this. I did see a few young yuppie types on a bike trail in Denver (side by side, taking up the whole trail), and judging by their bellies, they should have been moving their feet.
"Well, good luck finding a judge that doesn't run a bestiality site."
I'm looking at the photos of this guy and it appears he hasn't lost a single pound. As a matter of fact, he looks heavier than when he started. I've backpacked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail and lost 50 pounds in 6 months (was somewhat overweight at the time but no obese). I've backpacked the John Muir Trail and lost 10 pounds (in 20 days). He should have lost at least 50-100 pounds by Texas, unless he's overeating and not really walking 100% of the distance.
This isn't a tale of heroic feats. It's about two lives running parallel for a while, with common aspirations and similar dreams; also about two guys riding a Segway.
Remember kids, with great power comes great opportunity to abuse that power
.. then I'll order a Beowulf cluster of Segways.
I'm still trying to figure out what people mean by 'social skills' here.
Hello there, I am the one who added my comment to Mr. "Really Lame" http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=173406&cid=144 27883. Like I said in my previous comment, I am glad to see everyone hot & bothered about our little movie. I worked as an assistant editor (among other things) on the film in question. Being involved with this project was truly a great experience. And I would be happy to answer anyone's questions on it. Of course, I was not there for the expedition. Perhaps Josh & Hunter, the filmmakers, will better able to answer some of the specifics, but I can help you out a bit too.
Some intial responses to the questions I see on here...
-Batteries -- They carried several with them. And changed them out as necessary. I don't remember if they charged the batteries when they stopped for the night, or if they had some method of charging on the road.
-Trailer -- yes, actually it does come in handy when you have to lug lots of extra batteries around. (And we're obviously not talking about the common AA variety.)
-Dean Kamen, was not involved in any way in this project. Though they did meet him at the end of their trip.
-Two guys on a Segway -- not exactly. One man (Josh Caldwell) on a Segway made the entire journey, although others in the crew rode occassionally too, when they were stopped, or alongside Josh. I can assure you that there was no funny business on the device itself.
-How long he had to stand -- well I am not sure how long Josh rode every day, but the journey was 100 days long, plus a little added couple days at the end to meet Segway & Dean Kamen.
-how they travelled on a single charge -- as already mentioned they had several spare batteries with them.
-did they film & drive, film & drive -- as someone who personally sifted through an unbelievable amount of footage, I can personally attest to the fact that they entire trek was on Segway.
-Sundance -- Sundance lists some of their selections before they even accept submissions! Others are listed later. And I believe some films are sometimes accepted later.
-10mph the whole way? -- Not sure, the max speed is 12.5 mph, but I think they averaged 10mph. I can ask. I know they rode by one of those speed detectors that tell you how fast you are going, and it read 10mph.
-Saw the trailer a year ago. -- Don't think you saw this specific one as I am almost positive it was made last summer. Maybe you saw an early teaser? Why has it been a year and you still haven't seen the movie? The movie itself wasn't finished till last summer. They have been submitting it to various film festivals. When you are doing things independently, it can take a lot of time and hard work to get your movie out there -- it even takes Hollywood sometimes more than a year, cut them some slack, huh?
Well, I think that's enough answers for now, let me know if you want more!
I am having trouble posting on the main thread. If this goes in the wrong place again, I give up! Anyway, if you are interested, I have answered some of your questions about this movie in this post and I can answer any further questions you have. Apologies for the weird comment placements from a Slashdot newbie!
Segway Trail
Narrator: Your Segway has lost a wheel. Resupply/Keep going?
keep going
Narrator: Sam has been bitten by a poisonous snake. Medicate/Keep going?
keep going
Narrator: Your Segway has run out of batteries. Recharge/Hunt?
hunt
Narrator: You are out of ammunition. You have killed everything in the vicinity. You now have 13,058lbs of meat. You are overburdened.
Narrator: Sam has died.
Narrator: The Segway is irrepairable.
You have died of stupidity. Play again?
We laughed, we cried...Segway Trail. Watch it.
Even though I like the Segway, that was hilarious.
yeah, i just checked out the bio's on the website...it's a small word. I have been a snowboarding instructor at Breckenridge Ski Resort (next door to Keystone, where Josh Caldwell was a ski instructor) for the last 4 years.
Now I really think these guys are lame...they should know better!
Thank you Dave Raggett
Cities will be built around these things... - Steve Jobs, 2002
Download the 10 MPH trailer formatted for your video iPod. - 10mph.com, 2006
I scratch your back...
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife