Handlebar-less Segway

[Ian Curtis]

Oooooooh! Patent law! Fun!

If you ever get a chance, sit through a patenting basics seminar. The whole process is very, very interesting, and you learn about a rare instance where lawyerism is intertwined with engineeringism.

FYI, MXC, which was original Takehashi's Castle, was filmed in the late 80's so I don't think any "new" challenges will be added.

[Andrew Blair]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

FYI, MXC, which was original Takehashi's Castle, was filmed in the late 80's so I don't think any "new" challenges will be added.

Ha, maybe thats why it looks so crappy. lol. Maybe there'll be a revival due to the appearance of such a perfect device for pain, and all made right in Japan!

[Kyle Fenton]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

FYI, MXC, which was original Takehashi's Castle, was filmed in the late 80's so I don't think any "new" challenges will be added.

Well there was a a new one that Spike filmed a year ago or so. It featured two college teams, and one of leaders was Tony Halk (I think).

[mechanicalbrain]

Personally I find this very interesting. First off I wonder about acceleration. Without a handlebar how do you balance when it changes vectors, it might need to employ a wide turn so you don't have it moving 15 mph in one direction and the rider moving 15 mph in another . It appears to have a good clearance and doesn't appear to employ a stabilization wheel (I think they put that under it to prop it up for the picture, and is in fact not an actual piece of the device).

Having started doing research for a design of mine Ive started to realize how loose a patents can be. Since we know little to nothing about the technology employed on this device I think its safe to say that if they built it and plan on marketing it then chances are it wont violate any patents. Patents are very specific, hence the need for a lawyer, and little changes are often enough to constitute a new invention. Unfortunately you can't patent "a two wheeled electronic balancing transporter", though maybe trademarking the image.... probably not . In fact Ive come across a couple other 2 wheeled inventions currently being marketed, though admittedly none of them were meant for transportation of humans. Of coarse not being a patent lawyer, only starting to become familiar with the intricacies of patents, and no knowledge of the mechanics of this device I can only speculate.

Anyways I do agree with them that its portability has good marketing potential. I also agree with posts here that with any transportations vehicle it is going to have safety hazards and is probably going to employ safety gear you wouldn't otherwise use on Segway, like elbow pads . The only thing nagging at me is that that safety cutoff button appears so be on a very dinky cable and I can just imagine it getting under the wheels and snagged on something. I wonder how Segway will respond to this potential source of competition... Overall it's an interesting path for the two wheeled transportation devices to take (and yes calling it a Segway despite resemblances stretches some barriers pretty thin). Does anyone know when or if they plan to market it to the public and at what price?

[artdutra04]

I would really suggest that anyone who wants to know more about Dean or about the development of the Segway should read Code Name Ginger. In addition to being a good book, there is also a lot of detail about the development of the Segway, starting from the iBOT wheelchair concept. It says that originally the Segway was like this one, and it did not have a handle on it. But due to mounting concerns over issues such as safety, they abandoned the handlebar-less idea and incorporated a handle.

Also, if anyone was curious, here is a link to all of Dean's patents. If you scroll down a bit, you will find that one of Dean's patents (number 6,651,766; entitled "Personal Mobility Vehicles and Methods) includes the following information:

A class of transportation vehicles for carrying an individual over ground having a surface that may be irregular. This embodiment has a motorized drive, mounted to the ground-contacting module that causes operation of the vehicle in an operating position that is unstable with respect to tipping when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered.

And patent number 6,920,947, entitled "Personal Transporter";

Improvements to a motorized balancing personal transporter are revealed in embodiments of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, a transporter for carrying a payload includes a platform for supporting a user; a ground-contacting module, to which the platform is mounted, which propels the user; a proximity detector for determining the presence of a user; and a safety switch coupled to the detector for inhibiting operation of the ground-contacting module unless the proximity detector has determined the presence of the user; and a motorized drive arrangement coupled to the ground-contacting module for causing automatically balanced and stationary operation of the device unless the proximity detector determines the presence of the user on the device. Various other mechanisms are provided for receiving rider input in order to direct steering of the transporter.

The "unstable with respect to tipping when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered" may cover this the handlebar-less "Segway". If they were to put a 'training wheel' kind of thing that came down at low speeds to prevent tipping, they might be have a case that they are not in violation of that patent. And then we get to the "Personal Transporter" patent. The makers of the handlebar-less "Segway" would have to reverse engineer the entire Segway and find other ways to accomplish the same end result. There are a whole host of other patents involving the Segway, that all would prove immensely difficult (but not impossible) to try to get past them if they wished to move into production.

BTW, did anyone else notice that Dean just recieved a patent for a multi-person personal transporter? Does this mean we will see Segway sidecars sometime soon?

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

BTW, did anyone else notice that Dean just recieved a patent for a multi-person personal transporter? Does this mean we will see Segway sidecars sometime soon?

I am enjoying the last statement of the patent.

"The described embodiments of the invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. "

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

I am enjoying the last statement of the patent.

"The described embodiments of the invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. "

The statement you enjoyed is not unique to this patent; read a few more patents and you will find nearly identical statements near the end of their 'description' sections. Lawyers are taught to include such statements whenever possible when drafting patents, so that the claims can be extended to cover variations that are not mentioned explicitly.

[Mike]

Ehh, patents don't mean much. If Segway files a lawsuit against this company, I hope IBM files a lawsuit against nearly all software companies.

http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=E...2005102631&F=0

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by Mike

Ehh, patents don't mean much.

i bet dean would bet you $100,000,000 that you are wrong

[mizscience]

hmmmmm, looks intriguing, but personally, i'd prefer handle bars

[Libby K]

It says that originally the Segway was like this one, and it did not have a handle on it.

TRUE.
i was lucky enough to be able to view a prototype.

no handlebars.

i really don't think it's safe, though. at all.

meh. me likey the handlebars, thanks.