A personal letter from Dean Kamen to the members of theITquestion.com:
Greetings!
Now that it is finally the right time to show Project “Ginger” - which we call the Segway™ Human Transporter (HT) - to the world, it also seems appropriate to address (for the first time) the many members of this forum who have been following this project so intently.
I never asked for, nor wanted, all of the attention this project received during the past year. In fact, when all of this began in January, we were hoping that the whole subject of “Ginger,” and DEKA in general, would fall off the radar screen quickly and quietly. For the most part it did, with the exception of forums such as yours. I speak for everyone at DEKA and our new company Segway when I say that we are both flattered and amazed by the enthusiastic, spirited and, for the most part, positive comments you have made throughout the year. You should be commended for your dedication, stamina, and internet research skills.
Moreover, I realize that nothing, not even Segway HT, can live up to someone’s imagination. Although Segway HT is not a teleportation device, a hovercraft, or any of the other fanciful suggestions that have been made, we believe that Segway HT is a technological advance in short distance transportation that can change the world for the better. While, in the near term, people will now have the power to move faster, go farther, and carry more in a fun, environmentally friendly, and economical way, I believe the impact of Segway HT could be far more profound. This new technology fills a wide gap in the current transportation continuum and gives us the power to solve many of the problems, such as urban congestion and pollution, created by rapidly growing megacities.
Although I have always been extremely proud of all of our projects, I am well aware that, as with most inventions, this transformation will take time. The world did not look any different the day after alternating current, the automobile, or the airplane were first invented. Each of these inventions took a substantial amount of time to create the profound and dramatic changes they eventually achieved. So to, while Segway HT will have immediate impacts upon commercial productivity, we realize that it may not achieve its most profound effects so quickly. However, because Segway HT, unlike many of these other technological “discontinuities,” does not require the creation of an entirely new infrastructure, its true potential may be realized far more rapidly.
Given the technologically savvy and perceptive comments that have been posted on this forum and similar forums over the past year, I trust that you will understand, perhaps better than many, the significant potential of our efforts. I encourage you to keep these forums active - even though the “IT” question has been resolved - because intellectual discussions such as those you have engaged in for the past year are all too rare these days. I hope that you would consider devoting your efforts to a wide ranging discussion of how this new technology and other developing technologies can be used to address some of the real issues of our time.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of my other great passions - FIRST. I personally challenge each of you to become involved in FIRST. If you were all to apply even a small amount of the enthusiasm and energy to FIRST as you have to these forums, you could truly help to change the world for the better (one student at a time). For more information on how you can get involved, please visit our web site at www.usfirst.org.
Respectfully,
Dean Kamen
