What's the Deal?
 

What's the huge deal about the Segway? I don't think it revolutionary. The wheelchair was revolutionary with all its gyroscopes and stair climbing ability, but this? It's a scooter! Sure it's cool, but after all that hype this is all we get? This is what is going to make Kamen the richest man in the world? Normal people can't buy them, unless they are rich. $3000! This is only a help to warehouses and the disabled.

Walk for goodness sakes. Burn the fat off the most obese country in the world.

When are the Spider Tanks going to be developed? At least have a spider-walker!

The Lord of the Rings had tons of hype and it can out an underacheivement too!

you need to learn a lesson, you do not talk bad about the segway!!! ever, and mainly not in the robotics forum

it's all right for everyone to have their own opinions. i exactly don't like the idea of replacing walking and having a vehicle where you dont even have to move to get around. people in this country really do need more exercise. i perfer my rollerblades to driving a car any time. but, a lot of people on my team and especially people in my physics class have been in love with the segway since it was first made public. most of us simply appreciate the fact that Dean Kamen is an absolute genius. i'm just stunned by the creativity of the design of it. also, it does move quite amazingly, and it's a lot of fun. come on, give segways a chance.

lol
 

well the segway is revolutionary and it isnt just a scooter soo ill dismiss that whole thing...i mean sure it is going to make Dean rich again but does that tell u something....mayb that yeah it is revolutionary and yeah its going to help things move faster..the segway, actually, was never intended for public consumption until Dean found that it was such a huge hit...but u have to do a little reading if u think its not revolutionary and its a scooter... :)

i agree that it can't completely replace walking, but you have to look at the invention, it is pure genious. i don't think i have ever seen something else as amazing as the segway

i have just a little bit to add on.
 

i would have liked it more if Dean made all of his money helping people who truly need it: a wheelchair that can go up stairs and inventions that will save a person who had a heart attack...

to be fair
 

Most of Dean's projects have saved lives. Insulin pumps, heart stents, dialisis machines, and several others. The wheel chair is amazing and may help a great many people.

The Segway is really an outgrowth of the wheelchair project. The code name for the Segway was Ginger. The code name for the wheelchair was Fred. To those of us who remember Fred Astaire and his dancing partner Ginger Rogers it is pretty obvious that the two projects go hand in hand.

He's had some other nice inventions, some related to helocopters for example. You can't expect and inventor to stop thinking just because an idea might make money and not be medically related.

The wheelchair was more amazing than the Segway.

the unknown is the best part
 

I would agree that the wheelchair is much more amazing than the Segway. But the Segway has way more applicability. Who knows what will develop once both have been out long enough for people to get new ideas from them.

i know, it is pretty amazing how the wheel chair can go up stairs, but you still have to look at all the very practacal uses of the segway, if you read the website www.segway.com all thier uses they tell make a lot of sense, and i think it would be great for going around college which i what i am going to get one for next summer

Re: lol
 

You have to ride it to understand it. If you just look at it, it seems like a regular scooter, but when you ride it, it is magical. You literally zip off and do things impossible with rollerblades, bicycles, and other modes of transportation. The Segway will be bigger in industry, the government, and medical purposes than a consumer product.

Re: to be fair
 

hear hear. That quote alone'll be worth money someday.

I take it you have never been stuck in a wheelchair. Being able to use stairs, and reach things up high is magical when you can't do these things normaly.

Challege: Spend a day or two in a wheelchair if you can. Better yet, goto the grocery store and try to do all your shopping from a wheelchair.


Wetzel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use someone else's eyes.
Wash them before returning them.

Some old but good information
 

#1) Segway will be retrofited w/ a stirling engine: This improvement would enhance the running time of the Segway while conserving fossil fuels. And seeing how it can be used much longer, it may become more practicle in cities --> less smog in cities.

#2) Vanity Fair Article:Recap: Revolutionary power...water purifier...zero degree turning radius...balances....and of course, it's one of Dean's inventions.

I'd buy one for 3k... but I may wait for the next model.

-Steve

Stirling could be gold
 

Anyone who can make the Stirling engine work practically and efficiently will be rich beyond Bill Gates. And the world will really change.

I'd doubt that this form of engine would be perfected before some other one is. I'd say that we'd probably be using hydrogen fuel cells before this. It's just as efficent and could be very safe.:) Dam opec if there is another oil embargo we'll be overun with the economic cars we have all ready and it will create a demand for it.

Come on!
 

Since when was the last time you saw a bike balancing all by itself on 2 wheels???? (It wont happen thats probably why they invented the Kickstand) LOL
And if your wondering some Segways do have kickstands, but are only in use when they are turned off.

Re: Come on!
 

Actually it was about a year ago at the California Science Center in LA. The bike rode on a steel cable and had a heavy weight hang beneath it. Of course that bike couldn't really go anywhere except in a straight line. It balanced by itself and with me on it.

you guys aren't still riding 2 wheelers are you?
 

Bicycles are for little kids. Unicycles are for when one outgrows bicycles. j/k

BTW I did not see any bicycles at Dean's house but there were a couple of unicycles in the garage. Looked like the same model I ride.

Don't know about the rest of you, but I have graduated to four wheels.
Only time it came close to tipping was when I out it on two wheels in a large empty parking lot, but that was intentional.
:)


Wetzel
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The wheels on the bus go round and round..

hmmm i just realized something a bicycle its alfully hard to fall down on when your going fast thats because if im correct of the gyroscoptic forces caused by the wheels stop the bike and youll fall down fast but the segway has gryoscopes in it all the time so it doesn't fall down like a bicycle

Exactly. When was the last time you saw the Segway stand up by itself when its gyroscopes were turned off?

Re: Re: Come on!
 

Many people road a similar version of this at the Philly team party, FYI.

~Tom Fairchild~

Re: What's the Deal?
 

Thought I would share that in the article I read today, Dean had a remark to this comment. He said that when you give a kid a calculator it doesn't make the kid dumber.