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Remember Segway?

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Basil

Basil

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I was just watching an interesting interview with Dean Kaman, inventor of many outstanding medical devices. It got me to thinking about Segway. I remember before it was announced, it was touted as something that would revolutionize how we travel. When it was finally unveiled, it was pretty cool, but also pretty expensive for what it was. These days I rarely see average people using one. I remember a couple of years ago there was a guy who had difficulty walking who used one to travel around the area where I worked. But lately I don't see them any more. The Mall Cops in our local mall used to ride them, but even they don't use them any more.
 
I've seen them in a couple cities where they give tours following the leader like ducks. I'd like to try one but not that way.
 
Probably because they were built using Lucas electrical components, and they're all on stands in someone's garage.....
 
Never did see any of those things around here.
 
waltesefalcon said:
Never did see any of those things around here.
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Walter, think they'd be any good for herding cows? Oh Gee I forgot, their only 2 wheel drive! :highly_amused: PJ
 
I rode Bart Kamens Segway (Dean's brother) when he brought it to our FIRST Robotics Team KickOff.

Bart Kamen was local to us and he was a physician......he is the reason Dean got involved in making medical devices. Sadly Bart died of cancer a while back. He was my age.

I like Dean and have met him many times; I've had dinner in his house. But I never really thought the Segway was more than an interesting toy.

Dean's real legacy is his creation of FIRST Robotics and all those medical devices.
 
OK...so here's a fun fact:

Dean's Dad is Jack Kamen. Jack was a gifted artist that did much of the artwork for the old "Tales of the Crypt" and "Brenda Starr" comic books.

Jack was also great friend with Bill Gaines and did a lot of artwork for Mad Magazine. Most of us have probably seen some of his work in Mad.

When you walk into Dean's house, you walk through a giant steam engine. His garage contains two Enstrom helicopters (he used to own the Enstrom company). It's really wild.

dean-kamen-steam-engine-1208-lg.jpg


Dean also owns an island off the coast of Connecticut called "North Dumpling Island". He jokingly seceded from the United States when he had trouble getting a wind turbine permit for the island. He's a real interesting guy.

untitled-6ab1.jpg
 
One of my friends got two of them a number of years ago. We rode 'em around a bit then. Haven't seen one since.
 
We did a Segway tour while on vacation in VT a few years ago. Up in the mountains it was a blast. By the time I was done, it was one of those "Im going to get me one of these" moments. Then we came home and I found out that I could buy a nice LBC for less.
 
George_H said:
We did a Segway tour while on vacation in VT a few years ago. Up in the mountains it was a blast. By the time I was done, it was one of those "Im going to get me one of these" moments. Then we came home and I found out that I could buy a nice LBC for less.
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This seems to be a popular use for them... as a way to take a tour-group around a city. I think every major city now has one such group.
 
Why would you want to use a piece of technology on a nature hike?
 
It really wasn't a nature hike at all. We stayed at a resort and rode in the resort and on a few trails. It was just plain fun.
 
Electric bicycles are lighter, cheaper, easier to handle and basically can fulfill the same role a Segway does. I've some some police departments use them and there is an advantage to being up high like a chariot for observation purposes, but that's about it.
 
We had several in the airport I worked at last. They were a quick and efficient means of making long runs across hot runways in the summer....just leave them by the hangar doors, step on one and zip away.

Segway discovered some problems with their software in 2007-2008 and recalled ALL of the ±30,000 units they had sold/delivered world-wide to that point. Seems a nasty coding glitch could throw the vehicle into reverse without warning and pitch its pilot. Anyway, many of the world's Segways had been shipped to their owners rather than sold through retailers and the recall meant that they would need to be serviced the same way. Many of them were not, and now sit in garages and basements, too dangerous to use or sell. Segway, Inc. claims about 50K units in service world-wide but that number includes those that were recalled but never repaired.

Segways are classified as "vehicles" by virtually every municipality in the country; some classify them as "motor vehicles" while others as "motorized vehicles". There is a difference and that difference determines where, when, how they can be ridden/driven on public streets, sidewalks or other areas. They are still popular as off-road transportation in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, airports etc. but they seem to have lost their appeal as intra-city transportation for any number of reasons.
_________________________________

Don't confuse enthusiasm with capability...
 
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