Handlebar-less Segway

[Mike]

Yes people, it is now a reality
http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/gadgets...try_id=1298966

[team222badbrad]

Looks like very little ground clearance.

What happens when you hit a 1'' high object such as a rock or stick?

It looks like a flying death trap to me because thats what you are going to be doing.

[Stu Bloom]

Reminds me of the saying "Don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see".

I am extremely skeptical. Is this a prototype or a real product? Not sure what I am seeing in the picture on the right, but it looks like some type of stabilizing wheel or roller under the platform - not real balancing technology. I'll believe it when I get to see and try one. Until then I will believe it is a piece of junk like the "Q" scooter is/was.

While I often ride my Segway with no hands and have learned how to make gradual sweeping turns by leaning, there is no way to really manuever without an "active" steering control.

[Elgin Clock]

I don't see any official ties to Segway LLC, so don't call it a Segway.
That thing is an insult, and yes.. as Brad said, looks very dangerous.

I would move this out of this forum, and seperate the words Segway and this thread's product focus from each other.

While it does look like a good use of technology, it seems like it has more hazards and potential for accidents than a Segway does.

I hope a lawsuit is underway as well. Seriously.

Anyways.. if this mockery of the one and only Segway does in fact make it to market somehow, I hope it's not marketed as a Personal Transportation Device, but more as a scientific robotic platform.. just as the Segway RMP is.

[sanddrag]

Something similar has existed for a good while. http://tlb.org/eunicycle.html (this guy must be making a mint off AdSense btw).

[Greg Needel]

i will bring this to work tomorrow and see what people think, unfortunately i doubt i will be able to tell you what i find out

[Bill_Hancoc]

It just doesnt seem plausabile

I have seen a few people on their segways when they are not moving and (correct me if im rong) they seem to be moving back and forth making small adjustments to keep balenced. I know i wouldnt like this because there isn anything to hold on to, i like the feeling of secruity (wether it be decided be just a small piece of tube it makes me feel beter) and that would be like riding a skate board that could tip over and move unexpectedly.


i dont like it

[Cuog]

Originally Posted by Their Webpage

Just hold onto the little handheld controller, hop on, and go.

It doesnt sound like a real seqway to me it sounds like a radio controlled car you can stand on.

[Tom Schindler]

Originally Posted by Bill_Hancoc

It just doesnt seem plausabile

I have seen a few people on their segways when they are not moving and (correct me if im rong) they seem to be moving back and forth making small adjustments to keep balenced. I know i wouldnt like this because there isn anything to hold on to, i like the feeling of secruity (wether it be decided be just a small piece of tube it makes me feel beter) and that would be like riding a skate board that could tip over and move unexpectedly.


i dont like it

This thread brings back some memories of a nice scrape i got on my Segway... i was fooling around one day and decided to see if the Segway could operate without the handlebar on.

Anyone who knows about the workings of the Segway knows there are essential components in the handlebars that are tethered to the base by a wire. I left the wire connected, but just held the handlebars at my side. After placing the seg in balance mode, i carefully stepped on the platform with one foot. The Segway reacted quickly and violently -- without the handlebars the motors sent the Segway into a fast and furious back and forth motion, knocking me over-- after a second or two it realized something was wrong and shutdown, but not before a nice scrape on my elbow from the ground

Just a fun story!

Tom

[Aburame Shino]

It doesn't look like it'd work out as well as they're letting on. It just looks like it's too hard to keep your balance on one of those things without any handlebars.

[Simon Strauss]

Originally Posted by Stu Bloom

there is no way to really manuever without an "active" steering control.

the article does say that it has a "handheld controller" but you and some of the others are still right, without being given better pictures or seeing one in action we don't know if these just control the lateral movements that are controlled on the Segway or every aspect of its movement. I however still think it looks awesome and cant find any reasons why if a Segway works this cant(keep in mind I've only rode a Segway once at regionals for a few minutes). it appears to me that the guy in the picture is using its wider surface to position himself on it in a diagonal way with his legs farther apart(like on a skateboard) which may allow for the stability that was lost by taking the handle bars off to be regained, and even if this thing turns out to be nothing more than an RC transporter like Cuog suggested as long as they don't try to sell it as a Segway i think its still awesome and may turn out to be more affordable than Segways or dare i say possibly more practical due to its small size. (I'm not saying Dean's invention isn't great, because it is. I'm just saying that we cant all get so wrapped up in FIRST and forget that GP doesn't exist as much in the real world, besides if you look at it from an Adam Smith point of view competition leads to improvements and benefits the people)

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by nycpunk

it appears to me that the guy in the picture is using its wider surface to position himself on it in a diagonal way with his legs farther apart(like on a skateboard) which may allow for the stability that was lost by taking the handle bars off to be regained, and even if this thing turns out to be nothing more than an RC transporter like Cuog suggested as long as they don't try to sell it as a Segway i think its still awesome and may turn out to be more affordable than Segways or dare i say possibly more practical due to its small size. (I'm not saying Dean's invention isn't great, because it is. I'm just saying that we cant all get so wrapped up in FIRST and forget that GP doesn't exist as much in the real world, besides if you look at it from an Adam Smith point of view competition leads to improvements and benefits the people)

AFAIK, Dean already owns the patent rights to that handle-less Segway. This picture was from one of Dean's patent applications, and covers alternate designs of the Segway. As you can see, none of these have handle bars. Figure 11 is very similar to the handlebar-less "Segway" in this thread. This isn't about GP, its about ideas and rights. Dean has repeatedly said that ideas are what will drive the future, so he sure is not going to let someone else "steal" (even if unintentional) his ideas while his patents are still valid. Although GP is not the law of the land outside of FIRST, patent rights are.

[Greg Needel]

there are more pictures of it here.

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news...way+PMP-2.html


also don't worry about them stealing the Intellectual property of Dean, Deka, and Segway. I know for a fact that they know about this already and if it does infringe on the patents then something will be done about it. The thing that alot of people don't understand is that a patent is not bullet proof. When you write a patent there are "claims" that you must make. A good patent will be broad enough to cover alot of options but specific enough to count as a new idea, it is very possible that they found a loophole in the patent. Either way with all the problems that Segway has had getting approved for use in cities i highly doubt this will take off in the USeven if it is $1000

[Simon Strauss]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

AFAIK, Dean already owns the patent rights to that handle-less Segway. This picture was from one of Dean's patent applications, and covers alternate designs of the Segway. As you can see, none of these have handle bars. Figure 11 is very similar to the handlebar-less "Segway" in this thread. This isn't about GP, its about ideas and rights. Dean has repeatedly said that ideas are what will drive the future, so he sure is not going to let someone else "steal" (even if unintentional) his ideas while his patents are still valid. Although GP is not the law of the land outside of FIRST, patent rights are.

well i didn't know that and no one had really made it clear so thanks for clearing it up for me and I'm sure others who may have shared my confusion.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

there are more pictures of it here.

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news...way+PMP-2.html

Wow, the "kill" switch on it looks like a small version of what we have in our shop. And guess what it does. Yep, stops everything. Not exactly what I would want to balancing thingy under me to do if I had a problem. Or accidently hit it...

Oh man.....I know. Its the new challenge on MXC!!

http://www.spiketv.com/shows/series/...0774&refID=mxc