Segway invented 15 years ago in Japan

Other Dean Kamen's Inventions
1

From what I’ve read, the segway was invented 15 years ago by a japanese robotics professor in Tokyo.

http://www.techtv.com/news/culture/story/0,24195,3368026,00.html

So what’s all the hype about a brand new revolutionary technology invented by Dean Kamen?

2

that’s an interesting article… i found it strange though, that the japanese guy said:
“It is a matter of pride for me, not money… I would hand over my patent for $1 if Mr. Kamen admitted that we were first.”

is he saying, if dean kamen paid him $1 mil, and admited they were first, or, the patent cost him $1 mil, and he just wanted to point that out?

3

all the Japanese researcher is saying that the money isn’t important to him—he would hand over the patent if Kamen would give him acknowledgement that he indeed invented the concept for the Segway first.