[artdutra04]

The reason why the Segway was a "failure" was for two reasons: price and usability. It had nothing to do with the technology or design of the device.

Price: If the Segway was priced brand new at under $2000, it would have really flown off the shelves. $5000 was too much for many people.

Usability: The Segway is only really useful in walkable neighborhoods. Like those with sidewalks. Unfortunately, this country decided that pedestrians were second class citizens to cars and either stopped building proper pedestrian facilities or built half-baked solutions which pose a real danger to any pedestrian who uses them. As such, everyone in the US stopped walking as much, obesity rates soared, and there was no real useful place to use the Segway.

Unfortunately, I really think the Segway came out about ten years too soon. Within the last decade (especially in the past few years), there have been strong efforts in cities across the country to build more balanced streets, with new bike lanes, improved sidewalk and pedestrian facilities, etc, new light rail and streetcar systems, etc. If Segway teamed up with urban planners designing rapid transit or commuter rail lines, it could solve the "last mile problem" that public transit lines suffer from in less densely developed areas (bikes could also do this with the added benefit of free exercise in the process).