[Brad]

Well, here she is:

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/general...710982,00.html

We all heard about the "It" and "Ginger" hype a couple years ago. Steve Jobs called out Kamen and said it would flop without precisely the right look and marketing. Did it flop? Well, I have yet to see a single Segway in person; so, I think that's a little telling.

This article shows off the Next Big Thing based on the Segway HT's design. It's a go-cart type thing that is supposed to be faster (OMG 25 MPH!!) and more rugged than the original HT.

What do I think? Another monumental flop. It might pick up a very tiny niche from rich, lazy people like the guy in the article who says, "if I had an HT, I’d never walk again!"



Uh huh.

[psmith2.0]

Yes, maybe it'll sell as big as the other one! All 13 units.



Most people are happy as can be with just a regular damn bicycle. Stuff like this comes along, people toil years designing and developing it, the press gets a collective hard-on over it and its implications, it finally comes out...and people STILL opt for a $79 Huffy from Wal-Mart and it winds up either as a punchline or a future Trivial Pursuit question.

"In 2005, what overhyped and prohibitively expensive radical bicycle re-design failed to make any splash whatsoever?"



But hey, if Kerry wound up President perhaps this is something he could stumble and fall off of too, in the interest of fairness, of course.

[ast3r3x]

Kerry is a little more nimble then Bush <searching for articles and picture of Bush crashing >

[curiousuburb]

I've seen a couple of Segways used by Airport cops to patrol terminals. They love 'em.

Postal workers and park rangers were also said to be testing some.

Kamen deserves some credibility for creative engineering even if he had crappy marketing.

60 Minutes did a piece on both the segway and his Stirling engine water purifier machine, which has the potential to bring massive benefit in the developing world if he nails down a few final issues.

If he concentrates on the stirling engine and skips the off-road gingerbikes, I'd be happy, but IIRC, some of the funding for these projects is intertwined.

[Kickaha]

I saw a flock of them in Monteal, on the waterfront. They were rentals.

Actually, I see this product being a huge hit with the disabled - Kamen's original work that led to the Segway was a wheelchair that could climb stairs and rise the rider up to reach things on a top kitchen shelf.

This is the outdoor version of that, in many ways.

[Akumulator]

There are Segway cops here in downtown Atlanta. They're more pansy looking than bicycle cops. The have funny helmets and weird uncoplike uniforms.



One night I saw one after a large event downtown. There were plenty of regular traffic cops directing traffic and a single segway cop going down the sidewalk. When the segway cop got to the traffic cop, he nodded and said how's it going. The regular cop didn't even acknowlege him and just turned away.

[Escher]

That new thing looks pretty damn fun to me. Check out Pop Sci's Segway Centaur slideshow. But it's not nearly as compact as the "original" Segway.

Originally Posted by Brad I have yet to see a single Segway in person;

Police have been using Segways on the National Mall here in DC for at least a year. And in the last month, I've seen Segway rentals at several outdoor festivals I have attended. I have yet to try one out, but the ones I saw did extremely well in grass. I'd buy one if I had the cash, just for the hell of it.

On the handicapped user side, yesterday's Circuits section of the New York Times had a nice article on how the Segway is improving some people's mobility: Disabled Embrace Segway.

I'd love to see financials for the Segway's development and sales. I suspect it hasn't been the commercial success that Kamen and his investors had hoped it would be. But I'm sure that the technology in the Segway can be transferred to other devices.

Escher

[Moogs]

Only in Atlanta...

There must be something in the water there. The perennially bad taste and judgement of various city officials and organizations (everything from their ridiculous Olympic mascot and torch, to the pathetic opening pick-up truck ceremony... to... Segway cops) is jaw-dropping.

[Akumulator]

No kidding....

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01....evolution.ap/

About the Centaur... I'd defiantely ride one. But I'm sure they're way overpriced. I'll just get a pocket bike instead.

[Wrao]

I saw one of those in boston not too long ago. I was in my apartment looking out onto the street(we have a great view) and down on boylston I saw a guy zip across my field of vision pretty quickly, then he turned a corner and was gone.

First time I've ever seen one.

I did see these "electric chariots" at a bike shop, they were like $200 or so, essentially the same thing as the segway, but with a 3rd wheel(cue maddox) I wonder if those are any more popular?

[Eugene]

I saw people on the field at MONSTER PARK!!111 last SUnday using Segway HTs.

[drewprops]

I'll see one occasionally when I go through downtown on Peachtree (THE Peachtree), down in Fairlie Poplar and over toward CNN Center. They're also at the airport. Strange, strange gizmos. I can't take my eyes off of them when someone is on them... they look INCREDIBLY unnatural. I saw one earlier this week that was tied up to something and the cop was off the scooter talking to some people. The darned thing was "prancing" in place, leaning back and forth slightly as it corrected its own balance, sans human. It was a very unusual sight.

Sure, I'd love to try one. Buy one? eh...

[Akumulator]

What's that store in the mall that sells them? Brooks something. I bet they've sold little or none of those things. The problem is... they don't let you try it! Sure you can sit in their vibrating chairs all you want, but don't touch the Segway! I bet if they has a small area just outside the store where people could actually get on it and try it, more people would buy them. They look fun, although you'd look like a putz. Who cares... I'd be all over it if I had the chance.

Oh, this thread reminds me... have you guys seen the new pogo stick? It looks fun. I goes over 5 feet high... what's even funnier is it looks like they're targeting skater type kids. Think this'll be the next event in the X-games? http://www.flybar.com

[scratt]

I can see the Fly-Bar ending up in another thread... The horrific videos one!!

[Moogs]

Splatt! Guaranteed some kid is going to lose his testicles for real or die on one of those things.

[applenut]

i see them pretty often here at Cal. Postal workers, police, and professors have them

[psmith2.0]

The pogo stick?!?!

"Freeze...police!" boing*boing*boing

[murbot]

Hey man, he had to come up with something, since Maddox totally trumped his original model.

[curiousuburb]

Within weeks of Segway.com going online, the best spoof I've seen was up.

Megway
It's down, but archive.org is a good thing.

[BarracksSi]

Originally Posted by Escher Police have been using Segways on the National Mall here in DC for at least a year. And in the last month, I've seen Segway rentals at several outdoor festivals I have attended.

Wouldn't you know it, but this past Friday, I saw as many Segways "in the wild" as I have ever before. There were probably four of them on the Mall, and one guy had one riding around the Clarendon district (where one of our three.. or four... at least.. Apple stores is).

I wonder how long it'll take for a Segway rental shop to make back its money. It makes sense, seeing that not many people want to throw down that much cash for one, but everyone wonders what it's like.

[curiousuburb]

If they blend Segway rentals with some of the portable personal hovercraft the aussies rent, harbour cities like this one might see more activity than usually busy scooter rental does.

[Escher]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb Megway ... It's down, but archive.org is a good thing.

Oooh, I like the Megway's eyes.

Escher

[drewprops]

Dean K. should implore S.Jobs to sell the Segway from the Apple Stores, as a deluxe mobile iPod charger. A customized slot, some nice HK speakers and a white finish is all it would take. Can't you see Steve walk off stage, yell "..oh, there's one more thing...".... then roll back onstage with his iChariot? MUCH more visible than those white earphone cords

[curiousuburb]

Looks like Dean Kamen just signed NASA among his new clients



Timely.

[Brad]

I'm loving the Boba Fett motif!

[BuonRotto]

Originally Posted by drewprops Dean K. should implore S.Jobs to sell the Segway from the Apple Stores

Seriously, they should just hire Ives' team to design the damn thing. They don't sell because they look dorky, not because people think bikes are "good enough." You look cool riding a bike. You look like an old lady on her Little Rascal riding a Segway.

[psmith2.0]

That IS Boba Fett...mixed with a little Rocketeer in the color and sculpting!

[curiousuburb]

Robonaut is cool. Been watching the development for a couple of years. Getting better.