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Unread 05-12-2001, 18:38
kgiessler kgiessler is offline
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Cool.

Firstly, the personal info. How did you know I went to CMU? I'm not sure if I feel stalked or famous Either way, I'm returning in January. When I return, I will be a sophomore mech e. Unfortunately, I will not be taking Fluids and Stress with everyone else, as I have not completed Statics. I would love to meet you though, I'll make sure I look you up when I get there. BTW, my andrew id is 'keg'.

The design competition sounds interesting, is this a CMU thing? If so, I want in. Did you ever consider joining the FIRST team at CMU? My sister was a member for a year, and I went to one meeting. I never joined because their team (at the time, 98/99)did not follow the philosophies that I had exercised at PNTA. I notice your URL is www.battlebots.com . Are you part of a CMU based bot, your own bot, or you just like to link to them?

I'll do my best not to exercise all my arguments here, for I have been promised by others, a comprehensive Segway discussion, (perhaps over a large fry). The only problem is that all of my CMU friends generally agree with me regarding the impact that Segway will have on society. I look forward to someone bringing new thoughts to the table.

Looking at the design link that you give, excluding item #4 (because I feel it is irrelevant to the design of both), I agree with you that Segway is superior to the scooter in all categories.

It is clear to me that Kamen has designed a better scooter...perhaps my comment about "I'm not sure about the glorified part" was made more out of disappointment than logic.

Perhaps the Segway, if cost eventually permits, will replace the scooter as we know it today.

But can it replace walking?

The most convenient part of walking (and infact I believe the only convenience giving it a quick thought, see if you can come up with another), is that when you arrive, your the only thing to arrive. Nothing accompanies you...nothing to store, nothing to deal with. Segway would introduce a substantial problem.

Consider a morning at CMU. 1000+ students (thats only 5 lecture halls worth, I'm giving a gross underestimate) ride their Segway to class in the morning and arrive. There's no room for them inside the building (any of them), so they must be stored outside. The congestion that would make for is considerable.

The same is true when you go to a movie, a sports game, an amusement park ride, a concert, a bar or restaurant, or any place where people congregate and sit. Segway will only replace walking if it also replaces the chair at the same time (note: this is not impossible to design into Segway, perhaps it will happen).

As far as putting them into a car, consider the fact that a car holds from 4 to 6 people. We are going to have to cars with large trunks to accomodate 4 Segways; and then room for cargo. Also, I think most people would agree, the ability to hop in a car and go is nice...right now we dont have to load our ability to walk in first.

Now I'm thinking, if Segway is not able to replace walking, will society have a use for it?

Kurt
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