the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

I was at the New York International Auto Show when this was unveiled. I saw it first hand...
http://www.segway.com/puma/

this is so freakin cool

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Leave it to Mr. Kamen to squish the SMART car concept even smaller. Looks pretty awesome for urban environments. There would need to be a cultural adjustment before they can be used though; drivers are already fairly complacent about bikers on the road. It seems like anything that's small and slower than a 'normal' car is likely to get run off the road.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Go-Karts enter the 21st century! :ahh:

That would be sooo much fun. Easy to get sued too probably. :rolleyes:

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

I could have sworn this was unveiled 1-2 years ago...

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

I thought so, too... :confused:

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

I believe it was announced in April of 2009.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

That thing looks slightly warmer than a bicycle and just about as crashworthy.

You are unlikely to get me into vehicle lanes in one. The roads around me are littered with debris from busted head/taillights, bumpers and grills. I see an accident aftermath at least once a week.

I can imagine the stain that would be created if a current "real" car drove over the top of two people in one of these.

Incrementally introducing these doesn't sound like a viable strategy.

Blake

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

*sigh*

As much as I respect Dean as an inventor and as incredibly cool as his inventions are, it seems to me that the Segway and this mini-car suffer from the same problem: they solve a problem that doesn't exist.

It must be significantly better than legs, affordable, not subject to massive liability issues wrt transportation safety, etc...

OR significantly better than a car, affordable, not subject to massive liability issues wrt transportation safety, etc...

And as the Segway replaces legs in a rather cool but non-cost-effective way, this seems to replace legs + umbrella + backpack in a rather cool non-cost-effective way.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

yes i know it was unveiled in 2009. i was there when it was unveiled. but the thing is, it is still in developement, because of it's complexity. when i was at the unveiling, they showed an animation that depicted special sidewalks/roads that were adjacent to the streets that would be made specifically for the PUMA. also, compared to the segway and other similar vehicles, this is quite fast: top speed of 35 mph. plus you can have 2 passengers

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

The problem very much exists in urban areas - when you want to be able to travel greater than 1 mile but less than 10 miles where roads and sidewalks are too congested to make a car practical, not to mention the environmental impact of a car.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

20k it's not that impressive for an electric vehicle

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Is this designed to go on the **road**? :eek:

Seems like a serious safety hazard to me.

Perhaps if cities were redesigned to accomodate personal transport vehicles such as these, they might be a viable alternative... But for now and the forseeable future, we're stuck with either sidewalks or the road.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Oh! Well, that's a different story - I can see that happening quickly, cheaply and widely - ;)

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

hey its faster than walking

plus its not meant for going really fast. its basically a multi passanger, slightly faster, longer lasting, and concept version of a modified segway using the same technology

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

well as i said before, special roads adjacent to the sidewalks would be made for this vehicle

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

my bicycle is faster, can take me farther, it dosen't need a special sidewalk and i charge it by eating.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

nevertheless, its still pretty cool

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

It's very neat, it's just a solution in search of a problem.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

I would love to use that but I'm not sure where... :confused: I'm also wondering where we draw the line for needing a drivers license.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Ummmm, what?
I routinely walk more than a mile in an urban setting without any issue, and when I need to go substantially further than that I take public transit with ease. The only things this would really aid me in is bringing around groceries (anything much larger than that it wouldn't be able to fit) and travelling late at night (when public transit options aren't as frequent).

I fail to see this "problem."

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

if i weigned >300LBS this looks great to me because i can fit my butt in it and it gets me arround with no effort.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Agreed. Unfortunately "expenditure of personal effort" eventually trumps all other considerations in transportation. Otherwise, the bicycle is THE solution.

But compared to the segway, an electric bicycle is dominant on every axis I can think of including personal effort. I've never understood it.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

hey guys, i don't see it as a totally nessacary thing either. i still think it's pretty cool. heck, I even got to sit in it at the unveiling.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Not that it really helps the case for the vehicle but it would be an impressive feat to paintain 35 mph for 20km on a bike.

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

your right thats rediclous. I can average about 23mph on flat roads with no wind.

also my bike only cost $400

Re: the segway just got a whole lot cooler
 

Looks fun as heck beyond all reason.

Hard to implement into the real world currently.