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Toyota Announces the Winglet, Wannabe Segway Killer
Various gadget/toy venues are writing about the Toyota Winglet, a diminutive Segway-like personal transporter. (Toyota took over Sony's robot division a year back.) It comes in three sizes and offers about a third the speed and a quarter the range of the Segway; on the upside, it charges in an hour vs. Segway's 10 hours. Wired writes: "The Winglet is the first gadget to duplicate the celebrated, and often mocked, navigation system of the Segway Transporter."
Segway Killer
You can't kill what's already dead.
what the hell is the deal with that baby sized one? what are the designers smoking?
buy a bicycle. As much range as you have energy for, fits almost the same places a segway does, doesn't use gas, cheaper, and get this, is actual exercise. Something most people in the places that can afford one of these things can use more of.
Monstar L
More maneuverable, more chic (or at least slightly more stylish), and much more portable...
This seems much more like a resurrection of the concept behind the Segway rather than a Segway killer. I actually want this to take off.
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I wonder for who is the smallest model. It has a range of 5km. But it's so small I can probably use it to drive from my car to grocery store on opposite side of parking lot. With it's whopping 6km/h speed I will be there faster than my 4km/h walking.
Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
Toyota's got a lot of catching up to do - the Segway has already taken the world by storm.
#DeleteChrome
if elected, pledge to make it their highest priority to fall off one.
to welcome our personal transport assistance robot overlords ridden in a standing position....
Oh, wait - this doesn't really work, does it? A bit like the Daleks. How do they climb stairs? And my capcha is 'pothole'...
I would like it to have larger wheels!
I mean, I don't have to take a very big bump in the road to fall with these.
I was severely disappointed with the Segway. I hear about the "revolution in personal transportation" PR they had going, and I expected one of three things:
* jetpacks
* hovercars / flying cars
* teleporters
And instead, I get a golfcart cut in half with a gyroscope and scooter handlebars added. What a fucking disappointment.
Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
Segway was a huge commercial failure and was pretty much DOA. Does it even make sense to call something a "Segway killer"? How do you kill that which has no life?
I came here for a good argument
The Segway is hardly alive. Maybe more like "Segway-putter-out-of-misery".
I am going to go out on a limb and state that the Segway has almost no real legitimate use.
A bike is way more agile, and is able to cover a much wider assortment of areas.
A bike is able to travel just as fast with little effort, and can travel faster if you want to put that much power into it.
A bike doesn't need batteries.
There are health benefits from this thing called "exercise."
Now if you are talking about a battery powered vehicle that can travel on a road and get you back and forth to work, sign me up. Otherwise its simply a toy.
These would be cool at big stores. I hate walking around all the fat sweaty people at walmart to get to the automotive section or something. If I had one of these, I could probably use speed and agility to avoid their odor and plump bodies, or just run them down by attaching spikes to the front.
We are one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. Back to you with the weather, Bob!
IOW, it's twelve times as useless!
Wheels are overrated. I want to ride one of these! http://www.bostondynamics.com/content/sec.php?section=BigDog
It doesnt exactly take much to kill something that was barely alive anyways (mostly just have to pull out the plug from the resperator). There's also geeks out there who have put together their own segways for far less than what the actual company wants. IMHO, if I didnt think it looked so douchey to ride one, I'd think it would be pretty awesome to build something like that at home for fun.
From wiki:
The color reminds me of Venture Industries' Helper robot.
Nothing worthwhile ever happens before noon
With its aging population and far more emphasis on walking than driving, Japan is the perfect market for this device.
The lower speed makes it less likely to be a nuisance/danger on the ubiquitous and heavily trafficked sidewalks and walking paths.
Also, even the largest model will fit comfortably on most trains and subway lines, making it useful for shopping/errand runs that include a segment on a mass transit system.
Those two features alone give it a fighting chance.
Wouldn't this product be a little more useful (than a Segway) for the mobility challenged who don't yet need a wheelchair? I.e. the elderly so often targeted by Japanese robotics, who maybe just need to get around their house or immediate neighborhood?
If they're serious about going after younger folks in malls and airports, probably the most use I'll ever get out of one is from watching a spoof chase scene in an otherwise forgettable comedy movie.
For a Norwegian-speaker this is slightly amusing, our word for Wobble is Vingle, so Winglet sounds like "Wobbled". A bit too honest naming, perhaps ;)
Just curious...
It will kill the Segway about the same way other consumer electronics manufactures killed the Walkman when they copied the concept of the personal stereo from Sony.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Would be way cooler (and probably safer for the old folks) to make some new bigger aibo to sit on and cruise around.. maybe chase cats too. ;)
These vertical hold-on-to column on these things should be got rid of. Then the rider can ride like a skateboard.
It reminds me of that scene in Back to the Future X where Michael J. Fox rips the handlebars off the 50's scooter turning it into a rad 80s skateboard. Same needs to be done here.
What do you mean Segway "killer"? Isn't the Segway already in a ditch by the side of the road, bleeding to death?
"offers about a third the speed and a quarter the range of the Ferrari"
Just to put the boastful claims into context. Sounds a little less impressive.
Is this one Bush proof?
Table-ized A.I.
I don't get it. The only thing I can see that killed the walkman is the demise of the cassette. Or maybe the introduction of the mp3 player.
I'd think that a comparatively cheap electric-powered motorized bicycle (targeted at college students and the like) would do a lot better than something dorky-looking like this.
far as we can tell, the segway was doa anyway, due to 'end user incompatibilities'?
the compliment I got from my ex-GF; "I like your lean, muscular ass".
Not bad for a bona-fide geek, huh? So just because you dedicated your life to science or engineering, doesn't mean you can't please the ladies. Bicycle, my friends, and your quads arms and posterior will develop! Plus, you'll enjoy your commute. There are few things as enjoyable as the speed and elegance of a bike ride.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
The Swedish word Vinglet means "Wiggler", "Wobbler" which may be more appropriate than they thought.
Reminds me of Chevrolet Nova halted sales in South America, or, Honda Fitta in Scandinavia...
It's way more elegant and agile than a Segway, actually.
I'd say it's rather typical. Many things are invented in the US or Europe, but it's the Japanese that bring them to (affordable) perfection for real-life use. See hybrid cars, too.
Wait, what? Oh...
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I thought the Segway was the Segway killer...
- "That's just the kind of fuzzy-headed liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."
Are those real pictures, or just 3D CAD images?
The "handlebars" on "M" and "S" look like they are directly above the wheels and foot plates. On the Segway and on the "L" model, they are positioned ahead of that point. Try to picture someone using the "M" and "S", and the handlebar will be tucked in the rider's stomach if the foot plates are horizontal.
I've seen Segways up close and I think they're pretty cool. But what about the possibility of theft when you have to leave your personal transporter parked outside of a store or office? I know that the Segway HT has a somewhat secure system that prevents unauthorized starting, but what about the case of a thief just grabbing the machine and stuffing it into a van for a quick trip to the chop shop? Furthermore, it seems that the smaller transporters mention in the article would be even easier to steal.
I can step off and start work right away without worrying about starting the day covered in sweat and having a wrinkled uniform (no showers available).
That is the most stupid and lame excuse against using bicycles, that nevertheless I keep hearing the whole time.
This excuse is completely irrelevant because :
1- The amount of sweat you will emit is highly correlated with the amount of training. Of course the first day you will sweat. But after a week, the effort will be almost unnoticeable. Your nice uniform *WON'T* be wrinkled anymore. At all. (unless you have to bike for something like 60km to get to work...)
Disclaimer : I speak of personal experience. I'm not the typical overweight geek.
2- There are these wonderful thing called "electric pedal assist" which can offload a certain part of the pedalling effort to a small electric motor (usually embed inside the back wheel - which fits into a normal bike).
I'm not speaking about a whole electric scooter. But a much simpler system which detects when you pedal and just gives a little extra omph to make the pedalling much more easy and less exhausting and sweat-making. As the system adapts to the demand, it's really a "use it as much as you need and put your own energy to the rest as much as you can" situation. Perfect I you *don't* have the bike training yet and are afraid about being too much sweaty at work.
The whole modification to a classic bike (the back wheel with embed motor + removable battery pack + charging station from mains at home) still costs a fraction of the price of a segway.
Disclaimer : Ok, this isn't something I use. I got well at riding my bike when those became popular so I didn't need them at all. But for the couple of times I tried my friends' it looks nice and offload the effort nicely.
Also I can work my guts out at a physically demanding job all day, knowing I don't need to spare some energy for a bike ride home.
Generally, the two excuses are mutually excluding. If you have a hard physical work, nobody will pay attention if you're already sweaty in the morning and shower should be available.
But generally, those people people having physically demanding jobs aren't those who are the most in need of doing some sport anyway.
But biggest part of the /. crowd, the "lifting my remote-controller-holding-hand away from the keyboard was my biggest effort today" overwighted types would definitely gain something by trying to ride a bike once in a while.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Toyota is just trying to cash in on the stunning commercial success of the Segway!
If it's a 10% downhill gradient going to work for 1.4 miles then.
A. You won't be sweaty by the time you arrive.
B. You'll probably be passing most things on the highway.
Coming back isn't very far, so all you need is some low gears, walk it, or just blag a lift.
This to me seems to reflect too common a pattern. An American company comes up with an interesting idea but basically does nothing to update or improve it. As far as I can tell all they did was and add a low battery warning so that people wouldn't fall on their faces. Looking at their site it seems they've also offered options car carrying cargo or golf clubs. That's pretty much it.
And now here comes a Japanese company, taking essentially the same technology, and doing something different and interesting with it.
What I'm curious to see is if the Japanese government allows these things to be used on public roads because they've classified the Segway as a motorcycle, and apparently one of 50cc to 125cc which is unfair. A bike with that kind of displacement is far faster than any Segway could ever hope to be. The conditions put on it make it so that the thing is virtually impossible to ride there. So they've essentially banned it. We'll see if Toyota's models end up suffering from the same restrictions.
A lot of us have been disappointed in the Segway. However, having my PhD in robotics, I've been downright frustrated.
While I would agree that Dean Kamen is "inventive" and very good at marketing, his products are not at all ground breaking in terms of technology. To add insult to injury his products are way over priced.
Robotics has been able to do his Segway balance trick for many decades. "Gee, sense where center of mass has moved and move the support position under it." In fact, we've been able to do a two link version of this problem as well (Think one Segway on top of another except the top segway has no power.)
However, Kamen burns through $150M duplicating the already known and is heralded as the most visionary man on the planet. Puuhleeeease.
His iBot wheelchair is the better of his products (It, by the way only requires the same basic robotics principle as the Segway.) It is slightly more "visionary" on its application and appreciably more sophisticated in its control loops to provide stair climbing abilities. But again... the cost of this beast is $26K. Placing it quite out of reach of most people who need it.
I'm sure somebody who is a better manager at actually manufacturing a product at reasonable costs could knock these off at half the price or less and provide a greater good to the world than Kamen does by having his face plastered all over magazines. But, sadly, they can't can't because of Kamen's patents.
I hope Toyota teaches him a lesson about how to really manufacture and sell a product. But, personally, I think the the entire Segway concept is flawed. A "trick" that is cute to behold but the luster wears off fast enough that people come to their senses before actually buying something they don't really need.
I will never live for sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
Good thing that most of us tagged this product as a toy, because it really is.
If you are looking for something green, affordable and healthy to do your moderate daily commute consider getting a portable bicycle.
They are a blast in Europe and with current gas prices we may begin to see more of them in USA.
Really practical if you gotta do only a few miles, live in a large city or public transportation isn't an option.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_bicycle
Many roads, sidewalks, and boardwalks have specifically legalized it on the roads of the US. So if you wanted to make say... a robot that advertises for you, it would be legal if you used a Segway as the chassis. I'm not sure if similar devices are legal, but I'm sure you'd probably get by law with one.
God spoke to me.
No 'Segway killer' is going to have a top speed of just over 3 miles per hour.
which are size and speed. The winglet is slower and smaller and should be a big hit because everyone complained that the Segway was too big and too fast.
One point to Toyota for copycat engineering.
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
</sarcasm>
To paraphrase: The sort of people who would buy these should on no account be allowed to buy them.
I understand segways at trade fairs where people have to go from one end of a large trade hall to the other all day long without wasting much time. Also people who work in large warehouses, etc.
OTOH the sort of people who would buy them as "personal transport" need to get off their fat asses more often. Seriously.
No sig today...
The amount of sweat you will emit is highly correlated with the amount of training.
Right there you show your ignorance. Try riding a bike ANYWHERE in a humid climate and tell me how dry you stay. Or just a plain hot climate -- try riding your bike 5 miles to work when it's 90F outside.
Report back when your education is complete.
Infuriate left and right
You could use three wheels instead of all that fancy gyroscopics and get something which is a tenth of the price.
No sig today...
A Segway will save you a LOT of time at a convention.
Five minutes between clients instead of half an hour ... that's important.
No sig today...
While the technology might have been available, Kamen applied it to personal transportation in a way that was very much non-obvious at the time, which is what patents are all about.
His vision of the Segway was personal transportation in an environment designed for foot traffic... a situation that is not met well by cycle-type vehicles.
However, as such, it is a device that was designed to solve a problem that does not really exist very much in the U.S. today. In that regard, it was very much ahead of its time. Too early, perhaps.
And as you mentioned, it is also too expensive.
Are you being paid or otherwise compensated to express this? To me that is the only logical reasoning for that series of statements.
At least see it working before dissing it. Looks kind of cool, even if in an "its a toy" kind of way.
I was intrigued at the mention of the possibility that they could be programmed to go specific places.
No, we haven't had that here since er, 1958 i guess.
Your parallel runs a bit thin though. I happen to know that Sony remained market leader for walkmans despite many others entering the field. Many made a profit. But if you'd used Philips as an example, they used to be in the habit to pioneer a new market(cd, dvd) and then have others run away with it.
It can happen that a tiny but viable market is killed by competitors entering the field but it can also happen that the competitors cause the market to grow.
In this case I think it is well possible that the pioneer does the effort opening up the market and then loses out against the next guy who muscles in.
The city I'm in is one of the God only knows how many places which reflexively banned Segways the moment someone managed to fall off them. Thanks to the cotton-padded-life, zero-risk crowd, the cops confiscate them on sight here.
(Of course, I'm wondering how quickly that would have happened to bicycles had they been invented in the last few years. I'm guessing there'd be federal laws against them by now.)
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
It all sounds so white and nerdy to me
As a handicapped "mobility impaired" person I would very much like to have something similar to this: small, light, easy to use, and, I assume, reliable.
While I'm no longer in the wheelchair I spent three years in, I am limited in how far I can walk, even with assistance - after about 200 feet I've hit my limit. :o(
Something like this unit just might extend my range enough to be able to get around in a mall, or even a larger store while standing.
That would be much better than a wheelchair in a number of ways... Since it puts weight on the legs, it helps to maintain skeletal strength, being lighter than the typical powered wheelchair or motorized scooter mobility aid (which can weigh up to 600 pounds including occupant) it could be safer for others as well as easier to transport, and instead of rolling about with my face at crotch level, I'd be eye-to-eye with other humans.
If the cost ends up reasonable, I'll be looking into one once it makes it's debut.
--Tomas
I'm so glad I logged on to Slashdot to learn about a Sony/Toyota clone of an almost 10 year old device that no one cares about anymore. Especially since the device's only function is to transport people around, but the clone only does it at 1/3rd the speed and with 1/4th the range. Awesome technology. Terrific news.
As long as my legs work, I see no reason to use things like this. Anyway, I was wondering if you're allowed to use Winglet in large public buildings like shopping malls or libraries. Bicycles are usually not welcome in those. Still I think it's better to take bicycle for shopping trips, instead of one of these Winglet/Segway thingys. Bicycle is not only much faster, but it also provides some space for the stuff you might have just bought. And better yet, you can extend its "maximum battery life" by using it as often as possible! And what if some really fat person, who apparently can't use his/her legs well any more, steps on one of these Winglets? How much weight can the Winglet take before breaking down? And isn't the maximum distance these things can go with a single charge, affected by the weight of the person riding it?
"The Segway: Revolutionizing the way people get hit by cars."
I work at Segway, and can say that our sales are ramping up something amazing -- the high price of gas doesn't hurt, either. That being said, the preponderance of our customers is security: police, airport, mall, and large event (e.g., Superbowl). Second place is tourism, such as most major cities, Disney, and so forth. Bottom line is that Segway's initial vision is being re-shaped to the "real" world, and fitting in quite nicely.
... come with guns?
Or just a plain hot climate -- try riding your bike 5 miles to work when it's 90F outside.
I've actually been in the US, in Florida, during summer. Nothing that much terrible that can't be handled by simply having a spare set of clothes for work.
Actually I've had much more problem, *with* the intensive indoor air conditioning that was used there (managed to catch cold at some point).
I know several colleague that also do the "spare clothes for work" trick here around
(=Europe. Where driving a car is a nightmare due to density. But both public transportation are a reality and lot of people are using bikes to combine some exercise to their work day - Although still not enough people are using their bikes, hence the "ride your bike for your health" ad campaign that pop once in a while and the lame "I'll be sweaty at work" excuses that one constantly keeps hearing around).
Also notice that the poster to which I was responding was complaining that he was getting sweaty, not that the weather where he lived was too hot.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
They just can't help themselves!
They Japanese have been successful with quality execution and evolution, not innovation. However in this case copying a Segway, a unique and innovative idea that was executed well but hasn't proven to be as successful as hoped ... is just LAME!
Besides, the thought of a convention floor packed with 500 segways all crashing into each other paints quite a picture.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
That blog post dates to what, 2003? But it is still the funniest thing on the Internet, and it is a mastery of Internet comedic timing in the way you scroll down into the punch line. Too bad there aren't more gems like that page on his site.
Does it come with a glovebox to store your dignity while you ride it?
...until I can drive this thing on the street. Otherwise, you're just wasting money on an alternative to walking.
Remember Fry, dont take the Scooty-Puff Junior this time...
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