What a total waste of time! What a total waste of money used in all the hype!
I well remember the Sinclair C5 was hyped as the biggest revolution in transport since the car. What happened to it? It died! and so will this.
It may have its uses but transportation as per the demonstrations is not one of them!

This unit has some very nifty features but, after taking a look at it and its detractors comments I think what we have here is a failure to deliver.

The segway is a fine little unit that has some (emphasis on some, as in small) potential to spawn actual advancement and change in the way we commute. It's problem is how the media and some, possibly well meaning, entrepenuers(sp?) gave it such glowing accolades and largely exaggerated it's actual ability to impact and change our lives.

You cannot take a 65lb powered vehicle and bomb it down the sidewalks of any populated city that I know of without the great potential for at least a lawsuit if not vehicular homicide. So Jobs is right, we would have to change the way cities are designed for this thing.

The weather is a real problem too. Not many places I know of sport a 76 degree with sunshine environment everyday of the week. In fact most places in the western hemisphere actually have inclement weather that would keep all but the true believers from using this amazing technology at least a third of the year (where I live it would be closer to half of the year.)

What happens if I goof up and run out of charge? I mean I've gone on hikes with about 60lbs in my bag but this thing doesn't look like something I'd throw over my shoulder and I can't just dump some nasty, foul smelling, imported fuel down its gullet now, can I?

How many people who could actually use this for commuting would actually want to deal with the hassles of using it? The bus and the subway are infinitely cheaper, probably as reliable and I don't have to figure out how to store either one in my office.

I guess I would have to agree with Jobs, this thing will have to chage the way we design and build cities or very few of these $3000 scooters (oops, did I just dis' poor lil' Miss Ginger?) are going to find their way into the hands of a public bent on saving the planet by commuting on their own self-balancing, 65 pound, motorized scooter.

Say, can you actually jump a curb with those things?

Personally, I think this is a great product, but it's just been hyped up to a huge extent for publicity purposes. If they hadn't stated "it will change the way cities will be built" (I think Steve Jobs said that, King of exaggerations) and many other testimonies as well as that, it wouldn't have gotten the attention it has now. I've been reading lots of peoples threads on here and lots of people make great points but many others are denouncing the product. I would like to make something clear from my point of view, this is an amazing product. What I find ridiculous is that there are some people on this thread greatly denouncing this product, which is fine, but shouldn't they be debating how much it will live up to it's hype?

Personally, I think that this will be a great tool for businesses, and will change the way industrial plants, warehouses and even office buildings are built as well as hospital centers. Cities? I'm not so sure. Maybe at best, sidewalks are built a little wider, but that's about it. This product is great for people living in a clean, not-so-crowded but spread out downtown area. I don't think that's New York, but maybe a few other cities. As far as mail delivery goes, theres a lot of mailmen out there, I don't think any mail companies will cough up up to 3000 dollars to supply their mail carriers with one. FedEx? They ship parcels, many of them per day, they need trucks for that.

What I think is ridiculous though, is that many people are talking about how inconvenient that product is, yet they complain about the convenient mechanisms available on the product. They're pretty much contradicting themselves.

This product will not replace the car, will not change the way cities are built, and people need to see that all this was said to get huge media attention, but under it all the developers are expecting to get at best 10 percent of the response they're hoping for publically. They're only guilty of good marketing. This doesn't make the product bad, though, like some people have mentioned, I mean it balances perfectly and has some great technological advances ever seen in transport.

Just my piece.

Good points.
As for the fiscal reasons to purchase a unit: lets say that a postal employee gets paid $15 an hour for an 8 hour day (I know, I know not the actual pay or work time but just suppose, average median income of a postal carrier in 1998 was $34,840). That's $120 per day for say 300 days per year $36000 per year. Now lets say that the walk time that the worker spends is one half of their workday, $18000 worth of walking. Say that we could cut the walking time in half or even double the distance one worker can walk during their s***. That's roughly $9,000. A savings off the top of $1,000 per walking employee ($320,000 est savings per year with all carriers factored in). Now if you get really deep into it you could factor in total workdays missed due to work related illness, fatigue, injuries. Then factor in the cost of hiring and training (HR costs), benefits, bonuses:), retaining employees. Then factor in wear and tear on vehicles for the 20-400 stops they make per day. Think how much longer an employee would last if they didn't have to lug 35-70 pounds of mail day-in day-out. The savings to the postal service could be significantly greater than $320,000.
Any new technology is going to initially be out of the cost range of the average consumer and more in the range of government, corporate, and early adoptors. Once that technology has found some market it is then mainstreamed and as costs are lowered so are the prices (see VCR, MICROWAVE, COMPUTER, CD player, CD-ROM, DVD, HDTV, etc.). $3000 dollars will quickly turn into $1500 and then $500. People scoffed at the PVR because they already had the VCR, people scoffed at the DVD because you couldn't record (and they had a VCR). People will scoff until someone points out what a dumba** they are being and gets them to pull their head out. This is not "JUST" a scooter (electric or otherwise), this will change things for us if we allow it. I don't think that Kamen says anything that he's said lightly or without a significant amount of thought. Understand this is a man who started a small little project to get kids interested in science and that project now has thousands flocking to Disney World to watch, and packing auditoriums everywhere.
Think about this also, right now this device has limited range and speed due mostly to battery life. Imagine if Kamen gets this approved most places for "pedestrian" use(sidewalks and walkways), then as they become accepted/mainstream a simple switch in power train to a high efficiency stirling engine or even creating a hybrid system immediately increases the range at which the device can be used (along with the speed). Does anyone think that this might already be part of the plan, considering that the patent papers mention it as an option and the reluctance that some cities might have to any type of combustion engine being used on sidewalks??

What a waste of time & $$$$$, I would never pay $3000 more like $30. If there trying to help the planet by reducing the pollution but they jack up the price so many people out there cant afford one especialy Lower income families. They should price it nothing above $100 (any currency) so everyone can enjoy and our planet will be cleaner! That;s my point of view on this matter!

its the newest technology at the moment.

thats why its so expensive... give them a break, the money put into this invention. I think its one of the best robotic advancements in many years... i'll want one as soon as I can get the cash...

Dont be a c*** spank its better trying than not at all look at many other tech advancments they all start of expensive at the start and then become more realisticly priced for the consumer

Those interested should take a look at their careers page. Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to try one out before everyone else :)

http://www.segway.com.ed...sumer/team/careers.html

First of all, forget the price tag. What's available now is not even the consumer model, and the magazine articles can only speculate as to what the final cost is going to be. Second of all, concering the weight issues, I don't see (in the videos on Segway's web site) how a skinny a** man can pick up a 65 lb. device so easily. If the inventor is smart he'd use much more lightweight components on the consumer model. I also don't see what good it would do a thief, he wouldn't be able to get it moving, and the value of a non-movable 65 lb. piece of metal is, well, worthless. Bad weather, yes we get plenty of that here in Western NY so winter would be bad for this thing, I agree there. This thing is not going to be for everyone, people who have long commutes obviously have no benefit of this device. However if I wanted to go putter around town, or maybe even my local mall it would probably be a great thing to have. I think the bottom line is wait a year or so, when the consumer models are out there and see how they do. Besides, what does the inventor care? He's already a millionaire!

you have a point about "going about town" in it but companies designed these small "bubble" cars for that and not many people bought them! granted this is alot cheaper tho! i only have 1 mile to walk to my work and in the summer it is nice (most of the time, remember i live in england we still have cold rainy days in the summer hehe) maybe if it was cheap enough i would get one to go to work and back in the summer. other than that i dont see much market for it. also how many places will ban them, shopping malls (over here at least) will probably ban them as they have done with all other types of similar things (except for disabled people of course) you are right tho, lets wait a year and see, it will be interesting!!

Good point but small bubble cars still need a place to park, however small they may be, additionally they need more maintenance that their savings can justify. Additionally microcars and cycles are 15 times more likely to end up in a traffic accident.

if you think i will use that thing then the bloke who made it is even weirder than my kid sister, who thinks it is stupid, ugly and something that should have been designed as a kids toy!!

i was also just wondering, what happens when it rains? or when it is frezzing cold? i live in the UK and i doubt many people will get one. it looks a total waste of time and i am very disappointed. not what i would call something that will change the world, as that is what i was reading stories about what it is and ment to do for man kind! i prefer the motor-scooters myself!

This Segway looks really stupid. There is no way I'm driving that thing around. If everyone starts using this thing, I'm moving to Mexico.

Think for just a minute here, people. This Dean Kamen guy IS a genius, no arguing that. Ponder the theft problem like he would for a moment.

First, We already know that the segway is protected by 128 bit cryptography. We also know that these devices use a number of controller processors to balance the unit. The IBOT used pentiums to do the balance computations, but the segway uses custom hardware. So how to you make the segway impossible to steal?

Intelligent chip design. Think pentium III serial numbers.
Make an on die section of the chip that can be made unique from other chips, I'll leave brainstorming the process to the microelectronics engineers in here, if there actually are any. Have the public key, in hardware, on each of the controllers.

Also implement the cryptographic routines in hardware on each of the controllers. Each controller will verify a string 'signed' with the private key which will never leave your physical segway key.

As a thief, What do you have when you steal some lady's segway? A system that will NOT work, no way no how, unless you can

1) Crack the private key. Not bloody likely.
2) Alter the die on each controller yourself. Again, not bloody likely. even LESS likely if the packaging is designed so that getting through it to expose the die will destroy the processor. Also, with a contained auth system on a chip, there will be no playstation style solder on something hacks.
3) Steal the key. Uh-oh... seems pretty easy.

But then again, cars have the same problem. And stripping a car is much more profitable than a segway would be.

Uoht, Red Knight of Celephais
and someone less creative than Dean Kamen... so ask Him how he would protect them.

And if you have your key stolen from someone, you'll probably have more problems then "Hey, where's my Segway?" :0)

there is no such thing as unsteable. Everything created by humans can be cracked by humans. again, how does this prevent someone from picking the unit up and stealing it regardless if they can use it or not ?

segway would probably need entire buildings in many countries devoted entirely to 24/7 support for those that lose their keys.

Yes, eventually everything can be cracked by humans. Just like every encryption method has weaknesses (please, no rants about one time pads, anyone. Getting them around is their weak point.) The point to a security system is to make it more economical NOT to break the security system than to break it. A system that would require the resources of say... a fabrication plant to be able to successfuly get a working unit out of a stolen one goes way into negative cash territory for anyone trying.

As in... if they actually WERE nutty and rich enough to build one, they would make more money say... supplying geforces to nvidia or something.

Actually, dealing with keys is one of the things that Kamen has already thought of, as a comprehensive key distribution setup is in his plan. The segway keys are not only for access, you can get keys for your segway to change the way it works. When you buy a segway you will ge a 'beginner' and a 'normal' key, definitely, and I would assume an extra to keep somewhere safe. Your dealer will also be able to sell you keys that affect handling, cornering, etc. There are a lot of variables to set, like the change in cornering radius per unit of speed, etc.

Since mature distribution channels will be setup for key distribution already, dealing with someone who loses ALL their keys will be a non-issue (they would probably verify identity even if you already had a working key with you and wanted another one)

Don't want the unit, but would like to buy stock in this guy..... move over Bill Gates.......the next multi-billionaire

i just saw a preview to the FOX 11 news at 10 on, obviously, FOX for tonight [12/3]. and the only thing they previewd was this 'Ginger' thingamajig.

But seriously, how lazy is this... we now have an invention that can do away with walking. The western hemisphere is already becoming full of overweight people. Causing serious health problems to those who are eating bad diets and not getting enough exercise, and here we are talking about an invention that might get rid of the only form of exercise some people do these days. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the convenience of modern day life... but we were given legs for a reason.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the convenience of modern day life... but we were given legs for a reason."

You sound like those advocates who said "if man was intended to fly, God would have given him wings." Unfortunately for them, God has given man a brain.

Just think of Ginger as a quicker way to get to the Gym.

Sppire.

"The western hemisphere is already becoming full of overweight people."

Western Hemisphere ? Make that America !

nah not exactly... flying is something man couldn't achieve without the aide of a machine. We already have the ability to walk across ground, why not use it?

Mutura

LOL... that's so true!
Mostly Americans are the lazy, and self-centered people...
I'm just glad that someone other than me pointed this out!

Hey, at least we're not Canadian! ;)

Back to the flying thing... We already have the ability to walk so why do we need this. We have the ability to swim but we have boats don't we. Thats it. No more boats.

I'm not saying that my girlfriend should swim out to the middle lake and have me stand on her head so that I can fish in a better area. Boats do more than just swim for us. Ok for people that can't walk, sure... but man if your are going to buy one of these and you can walk.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Towelie says "You're a towel!"

What's wrong with being a Canadian eh?
We're better than Americans in almost every aspect.....

To the "person" who made the remark about Canadians, it is better to say nothing than to speak and prove your IQ.

I believe the quote you are looking for is:

"It is better to say nothing and appear foolish,
than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
- Mark Twain, American Author

I also don't know of anybody who could swim the Atlantic.

Just out of curiosity, why would you leave it outside? the whole point is NOT to walk AT ALL - that means, going into the store buying what you want and doing whatever you do normally, but on the "Segway". As far as practicality, it's practical in a city such as Manhattan - where I live. Thousands and thousand of people on the same stretch of sidewalk constantly. This new form is pretty cool cause it, theoretically of course, can move more people in a faster amount of time - seemingly more safely (again, assuming this becomes a mainstream idea years from now). But as for a current idea, a few people will have it and make an expensive novelty out of it. Who knows, maybe one day? :)
I just wanna try it for a few minutes. ;0)

This is a neat device. I would like to take a ride on it... However, I must agree with the people that posted below regarding that it would be impractical and perhaps not as successfull in the city, etc. One post mentioned that the car consumes gas, smells, etc. This may be irrelevant, but other source of fuels exist. We have the technology to implement large scale use of ecomic cars and electrical cars. The reason is that huge oil companies will simply not permit this. This device will not replace cars nor change the way cities are built for a long time...if that happens at all.

Also, I don't think our society is ready for such things especially since there are too many thieves and vandalists. It would be nice to hop on that scooter, drive up to a video place and just leave it in front of the store. Having to worry about it getting stolen kinda takes the fun out.

Am I the only one that thinks a "device" with 4 wheels, each about 1/4 the size of those, and a platform about the same size could acomplish the same thing for a much much more reasonable pricetag? You wouldn't need all the fancy computer stuff to balance, or not as much at least if the wheel base is still too small. You can still have individual motors for each side to get the "zero turn" effect, heck I have a $30 RC car that does that.

Seems like a lot of research and money to go into a product that could be made much easier and accomplish the same goals much cheaper.

HA quite a decent argument actually

It drives me crazy that people around the globe are saying this piece of equipment is junk. Maybe if you all opened up your minds and thought outside the box a little bit you'd notice that it does have real world uses.

1. Medical uses are huge. Imagine people with MS that have to use a walker or a cane to get around, if they can hop on a scooter to get where they're going, I personally think they'd use a Segway anyday over a cane or a walker.

2. Colleges and company campuses would be perfect for this machine. Picture everyone at the Microsoft campus on one of these things. Personally, at my campus I have to "climb" a huge hill to get to my classes, with this little thing I don't have kill myself getting to class.

3. No storage? Ever heard of a back pack?? Why can't people just use this thing to go to a 7 Eleven to grab some quick groceries and throw some things in their bag?

4. $3000 pricetag. Bah - look at the first computers, they were very expensive, even today a P4 from Dell approaches the $3000 pricetag so give me a break. This is also the first Segway ever, imagine Ford's first prototype, how much does that cost? The price will come down.

5. Injuries/safety. This thing weighs 65 pounds and moves at the fastest 16-17mph. That being said, don't you think a child who weighs 65 pounds can run that fast? I mean, I believe Michael Johnson (Olympic Runner) has the recrod at 33MPH. So imagine if a child hits you running full speed, at the most it would bump you a bit.

All in all, it just pisses me off that people don't take this device for what it is. It is a technological breakthrough for science. People with all the complaints are the ones who were looking for a hoverboard or a stirling engine of some sort...

Imagine if you are going on vacation and you can hop on a Segway and ride down the beach. This device will get to the point where everyone will want one just because of its practicality, as soon as the machine is being mass produced the price will drop dramatically.

Sorry for the rant, but I cannot stand ignorant people not seeing a good thing when it hits them in the face. Remember people, the inventor, Dean Kamen has invented technologies that are so great even our Vice President is using them for medical reasons. This is just the first step, a year from now we'll see a difference...in my opinion.

noone is doubting its technological ingenuity. it's just that it won't have the great impact on society that people thought it would.

1. i agree with your medical uses. however the walker and cane market isn't that big. it won't "transform cities."

2. the biggest problem i see with campus use is theft. corporate campuses are relatively safe. but for the student that can afford a $3000 segway in the 1st place, it's a financial risk. expensive and easy to steal. it's a thief's dream.

3. when i said groceries i was thining of a gallon of milk, a box of cereal, eggs, a box of ramen, chips, etc... try carrying all that in a backpack. it's also not practical for warehouses. how are you going to carry a tv on that thing?

4. ford's model T was actually very cheap. afer a while there will be segways with more features like headlights, horns, radios, and anti-theft devices, and smaller and lighter and faster and more comfortable, with longer battery life. all that adds to the price. pc prices have come down because the market is saturated. and the computer is of more use than the segway. these days you need a computer. nobody needs a segway. of course segways will come down in price but even $2000 is too expensive. when it's down in the triple digits i'll think about getting one.

5. totally ridiculous. who says it's gonna be a child hitting you? it could be a 250lbs man on the segway. and that will hurt! and you forgot about the flip side. getting hit while on a segway. 65lbs kids die everyday getting hit by cars. car/bus/truck drivers cannot react as quickly to something going 3 times as fast as a walking person.

the segway is for a niche market; postal service, those on walkers and canes, those that ride bikes and have cash (japanese?). i don't even think it will be revolutionary on college campuses.
it will not transform cities. most people will not have one within the next 5 years. it will not replace cars.

I disagree with you. I personally work in a retail warehouse, and most of the time we have to find where the product is on the shelves before we can give it to the customer. While I will grant you the fact that I will not be able to put an entire pallet worth of goods on the Segway, it would make my life much easier in finding the product.

As to the ability of the Segway to move at 17mph, and your concern with cars, have you forgotten the speed of the bicycle? I personally have the ability on my 21 speed mountain bike to pedal fast enough that I am moving in excess of 25mph, and because of that ability I ride in and with traffic. Obviously, this is far more dangerous for other persons driving a bus then a 17mph Segway, which has the ability, due to a lower speed and what would seem to be less momentum, to dodge back out of the way of said bus. Oh, and when I go to the store, I take my pickup, becuase the amount of food that I buy for my house doesnt fit in a normal car.

I personally think this is an awesome idea, coming from a college in Western New York where the walk from the residential side of campus to the academic side of campus has been measured at 2/3 of a mile. I personally cannot wait to try one out, but I will probably stay away from purchasing one right away, as the cost will be high, as mentioned in the article.

Oh, next time you drive into the city and can't find a parking space, just imagine how many fewer cars will be on the road if people start to ride into work on their Segway. I can't wait to see what this does to cities!

Big Erik

I love when people make a well-thought post and then end by calling people who disagree with him/her ignorant. I've read all the same articles, watched the videos on the site, etc. and I have come to a different conclusion than you.

I happen to live in the city (New York) that a lot of people feel that this product will change and I can tell you from first hand experience that it would be extraordinarily difficult to use. I don't how many examples I have to post but I will continue.

Most people who work in Manhattan (the island that really is New York) live outside of the city. They come into the city by car, bus, and train over bridges and through tunnels. Lets assume for a second that they lived close enough that they could ride a Segway into the city. How would they do it? By bridge - would they ride in the roadway or take the pedestrian path (available on some bridges). I would think that either way would be dangerous. And how about tunnels - I could just see one of these things in behind a bus in the Lincoln Tunnel.

Uh oh - work calls.

I hate to say it, but Fords cars were not the first (and the Model T wasn't even the first Ford)... They were cheap because that was Ford's goal, to make a cheap car that everyone can afford to buy, and they were successful.

i never said ford was the 1st.

i just realized...
a 65lbs child can't run 16-17mph!!! a 65lbs kid can't run an under 4min mile! that's more akin to michael johnson speed.

I don't think it would be practical for a campus either. I thought about having one ... I mean it would be a dream come true not being late for class everyday cuz I missed my bus :-) But where would you park the thing? These days, with university classrooms becoming more and more crowded (because of financial cut backs and increasing student population) it's impractical to keep the Segway in class (unless you don't mind standing way in the back haha). Thus you'd have to keep it outside with the bikes and risk getting it stolen.

Why wouldn't it be good for warehouses? According to Segway.com at least, there will be a cargo module rated for 300+ pounds, at least on the professional version. The consumer version may be less, but probably still enough.

Most people in general cannot run that fast. Even at 12 MPH you'll be able to beat most runners (except for short sprinting distances). Most people cannot run at the speed it takes to run a 5 minute mile.

1. theft. you can't park it like a car nor is it as easy to carry around as a skateboard.

2. average 1-way commuter time for those that work in nyc is 39 mins. multiple that by 2 to get the time it takes by the segway. that's impractical. the only application would be within manhattan as a replacement for the subway. that means it would lessen underground traffic and would worsen aboveground traffic.

3. price. by subway you can get to any point in nyc with $1.50. with a $3000 pricetag it would take the average manhattan subway commuter 4 years for it to pay for itself. this doesn't apply to those comming from the other boroughs (except for staten islanders who can take it onto the ferry into manhattan) since it would be too impractical. even in places like china where the bicycle is the msot popular mode of transportation, bikes can be bought for under $50.

4. accidents. imagine everyone sprinting on the streets of nyc. not jogging. sprinting. even as it is with people walking, people bump into each other. and i'm sure many people will want to listen to music at the same time. so imagine thousands of people sprinting on throught the streets of manhattan with headphones on.

5. history. bikes, motorized bikes, skateboards, scooters, motorized scooters, rollerblades... none have been too popular for everyday use.

6. single rider. in manhattan most cars have more than 1 person in it. to replace the car those people that cannot afford cars will also have to buy the segway since there is noone to drive them around.

7. weather. cabbies make the most money on cold and rainy days. the inconvenience of the segway outways the conveniences on those days.

8. reputation. face it. it's an advanced scooter. don't even try showing up to a business meeting or a date on one of those. it may intrige them for a few mins then they'll ask you which toys-r-us you bought it at.

9. no cargo space. forget about going to the supermarket on one of those.

10. recharging. that means you gotta place it overnight next to a socket. that's easier than it sounds for those of us living on anything but the 1st floor. carrying what looks to be a fairly heavy device down stairs when you're in a hurry isn't fun.

Excellent post.

First of all, this thing isn't just a Scooter. Second of all, people won't be driving it for longer transport. Thirdly, you're probably less likely to get hurt on one of these things considering it has 5 gyros to help even the blondest of people. This is revolutionary, this will change cities, this will be used on college and corporate campuses. Some say it "only" goes 12mph... ever tried running that pace for 15 miles? Oh wait I can get something else that goes 30mph... It consumes gas, smells and probably way more likely to fail considering Segways redundancy. I think Kamen says you can run all day on 6 cents worth of clean, electric power... sounds good to me. And the price is high, but with them producing 40,000 a month I am sure that price will drop very quickly so that will become a non-issue.

Quote: "This is revolutionary, this will change cities, this will be used on college and corporate campuses."

You got it half right. These things will be great for wide open spaces like college and corporate campuses but in a city where people crowd the streets and are constantly jostling and bumping into people it is highly impractible. See my numerous posts below.

http://www.arbortech.com.au/airboard/

i saw this on the FOX 11 news at 10 [southern california] a few days ago. it's already been around since the 2000 olympics in sydney. and it's an outrageous $8000

Umm... what your talking about is a hover board of some sort.. the Segway is a rolling machine... Big difference..

Plus this Air Board is gas powered and only get's one hour's use, when the Segway will get 6 hours of use on two batteries..

Do your reserach before posting crap...

It is not logical to make a comparison. The Airboard is more recreational, much larger and not suitable for city streets. The Segway device is more focused as "walking" replacement.

Ya that's true... But you know what? I'll take the airboard any day!
Just a question... How fast does it go?

Looks like about 15MPH tops.

http://www.arbortech.com...set/purchase/purch.html

This is entirely ludicrous. Have any of you actually ever been to New York. The only way this would work is if you eliminate cars and trucks entirely from the streets. Be real interesting to see how you would get goods into the city without trucks. As soon as you add one truck you add a hazard to all of these scooter users since as far as I can tell all the balance in the world won't help you if you get sideswiped by a truck that didn't see in its blindspot.

And then there are the people who rely on cabs. I've just gone shopping on 5th ave (ok not me really but Mrs. Moneybags) and I am going to get on a scooter? Ok so you've added cabs and trucks.

And how about the hundreds of parking garages in the city? You think the mayor is just going to let them get shut down. Do you realize how much tax is collected at these places?

Then Kamen wants the city to allow people to ride these on the sidewalks! I don't care how slow they go they would be an incredible danger to pedestrians. I could just see one of these swerving to avoid somebody and plowing into the scaffolding that covers so many streets in this city.

Finally, most people who commute by car come from Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut. When I last checked, most of these are more than 15 miles from midtown.

I could go on for hours but I think you have all gotten the point. These things might be great on a campus or in a warehouse but not in New York.

You have to remember, this thing mimics humans in balancing, and is small, everything you do on it is the same as walking, accept you dont get tired. So all the problems you are talking about, would therefore also apply to walking, and just being in NY a couple weeks ago, there are A LOT of people walking and not getting sideswiped by trucks every second.

I don't know about you but I don't walk at 8-12 mph. That's a lot less time to make decisions. Not to mention the fact that is hardly small. Have you seen the videos? It is definitely wider than the average person and weighs 65lbs.

I also did not see it turn sideways to avoid somebody. I am constantly doing that as I walk down the street. And I would love to see somebody go on or off of the subway with it. I had to fight my way out this morning.

I also would like to note that I live in the Bronx and I would never ride this thing through the South Bronx to get home at night. I might as well were a sign that says "I enjoy being beating and mugged".

You probably don't own much.
Yeah, cars are stupid and useless too. Who would drive them? They're big and bulky, they're loud and stinky. Plus they're probably super-dangerous! You could kill somebody with a car!
Everything new that comes out has its skeptics; the Segway is no different. No one really knows how much it will catch on until people start using it. As soon as they start mass-producing them and prices drop, I think it would be a pretty cool think to check out. But this early, I wouldn't bet everything you own on them failing...

After just walking through Rockefeller Center on lunch I will double my bet - and trust me - I have plenty to lose. Can these things jump on and off curbs to get around people? Can they squish between cars that are "blocking the box"?

I have no doubt that it would be nice on a college campus but what students can afford it? And I remember only one or two professors that I could picture riding it.

By the way, they didn't originally even consider cars dangerous. Cars were originally playtoys of the rich and famous until Ford and the Model T came along. The first big instance that showed the dangers of the car happened when some rich man's chafeur stuck an Italian boy in a poor Italian neighborhood. Supposedly the driver was lucky to get out alive.

Cars also changed the world because they finally allowed people to spread out away from the cities. The car spawned suburbs, weekend trips to the Hamptons, etc. Automobiles also were not just about cars and people but trucks changed how goods were delivered. No more relying on ships and trains and then horse-drawn wagons. Trucks could carry many tons more weight than any group of horses could.

The reason this won't catch on is because the rich and famous would never be caught dead on one and most of the rich, young dot-commers that I am sure that Kamen was banking on are gone.

(PS I watch a lot of PBS).

I hate to tell you this, but there are OTHER cities than New York.

NO! REALLY?!?

a) I only live in New York so I can only talk of New York.
b) A lot of people have used New York as an example of the ideal city for Segway.
c) There are 8 million people who live in New York and several million more who commute to and from the city each day making it a VERY valuable market.

What about the X Games.... this will be a smash hit

Sure it's a very valueble market, but you act as if it doesn't work in NYC, then it won't work anywhere.

I realize it probably came across like that. I do think that it could work best in small communities. Where my parents live the closest town is 3 miles away and this would be great for quick trips to town to run non-grocery errands. I also think it would be a lot of fun for casual use - like on existing bike/walking paths.

I focuses on New York because a lot of the quotes I've heard in other stories and on TV talk about New York as a prime candidate.

For those interested:

http://www.segway.com/consumer/
http://www.segway.com/business/
http://www.segway.com/business/video
http://www.segway.com/consumer/video/

The main page currently is an index file designed to mimic an IE error page, but that will change shortly for sure.

- Nate

I just saw a picture of it. It looks funny and stupid. I would feel like a dork moving around in something like that. The self balancing idea sounds nice though.

To open up some discussion: If the Segway went on sale in consumer markets today, what are the chances that you would go purchase one? Is $3,000 too expensive - if so, what would you be willing to dish out? Do you see these being viable alternatives to cars in highly-populated cities such as New York and San Francisco?

Respond with your opinions and feedback.

Since you asked.... =)
Given the value of the AU dollar, the Segway is give/take $6000 AU which is faaaaaar too much for a glorified electric scooter. Whilst this is an amazing creation without a doubt and calling it a scooter can be seen as disrespectful the only real complaint I have is about the price. Then again I have no doubt in my mind that the price will drop 6/12 months after it's major release.

As for how much I would pay....difficult to say, I'd say that 1/3rd of the price would be far more realistic.

They had an exclusive on Good Morning America this morning about this gadget and I have to say this thing looks pretty cool. BUT, when I can buy a decent used car for around $1000.00 to $1500.00 that goes 100 MPH, why would I spend $3000.00 on a self balancing, side by side wheel scooter that has a max speed of 12 MPH? $500.00 and I would buy one, not a penny more..........

This is not a scooter. This is a pretty complex piece of software/hardware designed to compliment the human being. Desiged to give people quicker, cheaper, and much cleaner mobility alternatives.

If this thing actually gets off the ground, think of what it can achieve; more space in cities as cars become unneccesary and more scarce helping maintain, in turn, cleaner air, resulting in better health. Less energy consumption, safer, read non-lethal, traffic. A devaluation of the oil, less of a motive to kill.

Please, read the documentation on the Segway. From what I've been reading, hell, what I've been seeing, visualizing, based on what I've read - this thing could actually help.

Read. Read & See.

You could still crack your skull open on a fire hydrant........ Don't call it "non-lethal" yet as I can guarantee there will be a fatality sooner or later after it's released. Then, let the lawsuits begin.......

I live in south FL where the average person drives 15 miles to and from work. So if all those people for some crazy reason decided to switch to this as there primary form of transportation in the city then all these people would have to spend about an hour and a half on that thing. I think Ill stick with my car at least I can listen to good music while I am on the road and I wont have to leave my house an hour and a half before work in order to get there on time.

I think the only city in America that can benefit from this invention is NY because most of NY is laid out in such a way that driving just doesn’t work anymore, at least not if you have to get somewhere on time, but then what’s the point of this invention anyways. Take pedestrians and make them more mobile in which case this device is nothing more then an alternative to walking.

What a waste of a great technology. I would like to see what his gyroscopic system could do in electric cars or maybe a quicker safer form of transportation. Maybe this device could be used as a stabilizer at high speeds.

Flash Diagram: http://www.time.com/time/2001/segway/index.html
Time article: http://www.time.com/time...0,8599,186660-1,00.html
NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2.../technology/03THIN.html
Reuters article: http://dailynews.yahoo.c...men_invention_dc_1.html

I could get a motorized scooter that goes 30 MPH + for a HELL of a lot less than $3000.00. Drop the price to $500.00 and I'll take one......

GoPed? :) Gets great Gas Mielage.

I was expecting a lot more then this. The whole razor scooter thing died out quick; so this thing seems like a day late and a dollar short.

http://www.nytimes.com/2.../technology/03THIN.html

You guys have to realize this isnt a scooter, its actually a lot cooler. And if you think razors have died out your a retard. kids still love those things, its now what we call winter and its a bit cold to ride them. but they still do. this is not a mere crappy scooter. this is an entirely new concept in tranmsportaion, and if the thing went 100 miles an hour you'd most likey die from falling off of the scooter. its totally self balnced. you just stand on it. pictures may be decieveing once you stand on it then you can talk your trash. Its ugly, what are you twelve, so what your computer and your mom are ugly doesent mean they dont work or arent cool. maybe he should put a nike sign on it for you. Then you lmight think it scool looking enough. This is a first design, its most likely not going to be the last and like with everything else from corn flakes to satellites they get improved and new features are added, and designs are modified. who knows maybe the next one will be a sit down model or something. dont disount its possibilities or coolness till you've got on that bad boy and given her a ride. and at 12 miles an hour thats like a runners pace at the mile, so dont act like walking is so much the same speed, or anything who knows maybe we'll all be surprised. But think of the possibilities for the handi capped. How can you all be so closed minded and infantile about this? are you all jealous or something

Quote: "if you think razors have died out your a retard. kids still love those things"

This is irrelevant. At $3,000, kids are not going to be buying these. Also note that most of the kids in my neighborhood have upgraded to the motorized version.

Quote: "like with everything else from corn flakes to satellites they get improved and new features are added"

How were corn flakes improved? They still look like the ones I use to eat as a kid.

Quote:"who knows maybe the next one will be a sit down model or something"

Go to yout local mall or grocery store. They've had sitdown carts for ages. Now you could add a bicycle seat to this but that would immediately change how you interact with it.

Quote:"But think of the possibilities for the handi capped"

I assume that you are adding a seat to this to make it handi capped [sic] usable. Otherwise I am not sure how somebody who normally uses a wheelchair would be able to stand on this. I can't even picture an elderly person using this.

Quote:"How can you all be so closed minded and infantile about this? are you all jealous or something "

Close minded and infantile would be somebody who can't format their posts with paragraphs, use correct punctuation, avoid run-on sentences and end their debate with "are you all jealous or something".

Why can't they make it solar powered at day and just use the battery at night? In that way, people would save 6 hours of recharging....
Well just a thought..

C'mon - his name is cavedweller after all. Why would you expect him to format a paragraph?

Seriously though, he does have some valid - ableit vague - points. The main idea that some people are missing is the fact that this concept is was designed to introduce alternative methods to inner city travel. Rather than the bulky automobile and the modern day transit systems. And no, this most likely will not work in our currently architected urban environments. But it 'potentially' could pave the way for a re-think of how out transportation infrastructure is operated. I think the media has skewed this one just a bit and the public opinion is that we have a new scooter.

BTW - Corn Flakes have been improved over the years. More and more vitamins have been added to them and they even are sugar frosted too!

Solar powered implies there are solar panels, wouldn't those look spiffy. :) You going to wear them? Besides, who actually sees the sun anymore? In a city with tall buildings, smog, overcast days. Wouldn't work.

I think this will be great, this product and it's brother and sister projects in development will take care of our walking, breathing,eating and drinking too and they will be all powered by flubber! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO US!

I keep trying to like this Segway, but I keep thinking a bicycle is much more practical. It is cheaper, lighter weight, uses no fuel or electricity, is faster, already field tested and accomodated for, has a better range, no recharge time, provides exercise, is a lot cheaper (unless you opt for some titanium super-whamodyne one), and on sale now! I can't see any reason for me to consider getting a Segway over a bicycle. None. Will there be Segway repair shops? I can find good bike shops in every city. I really do not see a future for Segway. I wish the stirling engine rumor had been true instead!

Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company was incorporated in 1906 by the Kellogg brothers. So in 100 years the most that happened was that they added sugar coating to make Frosted Flakes and added some vitamins to some spin-off flake cereals (Special K, etc.).

I also don't consider those other cereals evolutions of Corn Flakes but more like spin-off's. Corn Flakes is still around in pretty much its original form.

They could be wings like Arthur wears in the Tick.

Is that all ya got :-)
I was expecting you to comment on the other points mentioned. Oh well :-)

I don't think that this product will be the wave of the future, but I do think that the technology will lend itself to far more effective uses.

Sorry - It was a busy day today. I was going to post something about a dozen times about how New York City changed to fit the car thanks to Robert Moses but it cost what would be several tens of billions of dollars in today's dollar. As an example, the Henry Hudson Parkway that runs through parkland on the upper west side of Manhattan cost the equivalent of $3.3B.

To change New York again I couldn't even imagine what the cost would be. You would have to add Segway only lanes on the road just like there are bus and bike lanes. Of course, most cabs ignore the bus and bike lanes and drive wherever they like often without looking. You would never be able to put them on the sidewalk as he suggests because the pedestrian traffic is way too heavy.

I think the best analogy for the segway are rollerblades. Both are alternatives to walking. Both have a lot of control and react directly to your movements. For the most part rollerbladers in the city keep to around 15-20 MPH when on the street. The really big difference of course is that rollerblading is exercise. Rollerblades also have the advantage that a skilled blader can jump on and off of the sidewalk whereas a segway would need a ramp.

My point with all of this is that a rollerblader on the sidewalk is open season for curses and briefcases in the whoziwats. They have to stay on the roadway and they are just as invisible to a truck as a segway would be. This is why even though I know many people who love to rollerblade in Central Park, they would never go on the streets. I have a feeling the segway will be the sameway (no play on words intended).

Now that I answered your earlier post - I agree that is an incredible technology and it could have great uses - mail delivery, park rangers, fat and lazy construction foremen, etc. I just hate how people are hyping it up as changing the world and comparing it to the car.