Segway

Nissan joins personal mobility field with ‘Segway-skis’

By Darren Quick

22:23 October 27, 2009 PDT

The fact that the streets aren’t exactly swarming with Segways seven years after they went on sale hasn’t stopped some major players taking tentative steps (or wheels) into the personal mobility arena with their own device prototypes. As we’ve seen previously Toyota is working on the Winglet, while Honda recently displayed its U3-X experimental vehicle at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Now Nissan is getting in on the act with its own prototype developed in partnership with Japan’s National Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (AIST). Read More

Honda develops new personal mobility device – the U3-X experimental vehicle

By Mike Hanlon

04:22 October 3, 2009 PDT

A self-balancing unicycle experimental vehicle from Honda to be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show next month might just be history in the making. Weighing less than 10kg, the 24 by 12 by 6-inch U3-X experimental vehicle runs for an hour, is small enough to be carried onto an airplane as hand luggage, has a wheel which spins in two planes and is set to challenge, perhaps even change, society’s concept of personal mobility. Read More

The eniCycle is an electric unicycle that balances fun and utility

By Alan Brandon

17:36 August 26, 2009 PDT

The eniCycle is the latest entry in the increasingly crowded self-stabilizing electric unicycle market. Developed by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik, the eniCycle has Segway-like balancing capabilities but only a single wheel. With its three-hour battery and lean-to-go controls, this diminutive one-wheeler prototype brings Jetsons-type technology one step closer to reality. Read More

Dean Kamen developing eco hybrid that will run on anything that burns

By Ben Purvis

20:19 June 28, 2009 PDT

Dean Kamen – the multimillionaire inventor behind the Segway personal transporter – is well down the road in the development of a new bike that combines electric power and a radical generator which will allow it to burn almost any fuel. Although the majority of the work that goes on in Kamen's product development company, Deka, is shrouded in mystery, as it includes significant projects for the US military, details are emerging about Kamen's new two-wheeler, which is part of a project that also includes a car designed around the same technology. Read More

GM and Segway Join forces to reinvent urban transportation

By Paul Evans

19:28 April 7, 2009 PDT

Straight out of left field, General Motors and personal mobility pioneer Segway have revealed a two-wheel, two-seater prototype vehicle they’ve code named Project P.U.M.A (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility). The self-balancing electric “car” is designed to transport two adults in a seated position at speeds of up to 35 mph and can travel up to 25 and 35 miles (40 - 56 km) powered by large format lithium-ion batteries on as little as $0.60 worth of electricity. The control system is based on the original Segway with dynamic balancing and drive-by-wire for acceleration, steering, and braking. It also features vehicle-to-vehicle communications, digital smart energy management and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity. Read More

Cajun Crawler: the Segway gets a leg-up

By Paul Evans

19:21 March 17, 2009 PDT

Take one DIY Self balancing electric vehicle project, replace the wheels with 6 pars of short legs based on Theo Jansen kinetic sculptures and the result looks like something out of “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”. A dynamically stabilized, ride-on robot that crawls. Read More

Michelin Tweel becomes Lunar Wheel for NASA Lunar Rover

By Mike Hanlon

13:53 February 14, 2009 PST

The Tweel is an non-pneumatic Tire/WhEEL combo which offers an idiot-proof, no-maintenance, easily-retreadable tire for consumers and the holy grail for the military - a tire that can't be “shot out.” You won't see the Tweel on your sandmobile any time soon because it has noise, vibration, heat and wear problems at highway speeds, but its unique construction enables it to be specifically engineered with ideal characteristics for highly specialized low speed applications. The ultimate badge of credibility was bestowed on the design when it rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue on NASA’s Small Pressurized Lunar Rover prototype during the Obama presidential inauguration. Read More

The DIY, open source, self-balancing ride-on robot

By Paul Evans

20:46 February 9, 2009 PST

"Segway" slipped into the lexicon as the commonly used term for a self-balancing ride-on robot soon after the launch of Dean Kamen's famous invention in 2001. The Segway is certainly a unique way to get around and to the casual observer, the way the device operates might seem to defy gravity. There are quite a few DIY projects around the Internet including standard two-wheeled upright versions, unicycles and one wheeled skate boards that operate on the same self-balancing principle. Now a kind soul named Geoffrey Bennett has released an open source version of the firmware required to operate a ride on robot free, allowing anyone with basic mechanical ability and some electronics skills to build their very own self-balancing transport. Read More

UnoMoto: the electric transport balancing act

By Noel McKeegan

20:50 May 26, 2008 PDT

May 27, 2008 A design that is best described as a two-wheeled unicycle, the UnoMoto takes a Yamaha R1 frame, side-by-side wheels and Segway-like gyroscopic technology and wraps it in a custom made body to create a very different kind of electric commuter vehicle. Though perhaps not as slick in the design stakes, the UnoMoto prototype is reminiscent of the radical Bombadier EMBRIO Concept but with even simpler controls. Except for an on/off switch all control is achieved through simply leaning: forward to accelerate, back to brake, and sideways to make a turn. Young Canadian design engineer Ben Gulak deserves our applause on at least three counts: it's compact, its green and it's thoroughly unconventional. Read More

iSlide: Segway meets skateboard in radical urban transport concept

By Noel McKeegan

01:35 September 18, 2007 PDT

These days the term skateboard tends to refer to a whole raft of different transport modes that go way beyond the two-axle, four wheeled conveyances that rose to prominence in the 1970s – everything from in-line caster boards to spokeless mini-motorcycles and sit-down street machines tend to be categorized under the genre. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the ramp, a new concept has emerged that could see self-balancing technology and electric propulsion incorporated into the skateboard design. The iSlide concept by industrial designer Ofir Tal is a one wheel motorized board that utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell and onboard gyroscope to attain speeds of around 15 kph. Read More

Steadicam friendly hands-free personal transporter

By Gizmag Team

16:36 August 9, 2007 PDT

August 10, 2007 Best described as a no-hands version of the self-balancing Segway Personal Transporter, the Handsfree-Transporter developed by Ulrich Kahlert provides mobility at speeds up to 21km/h without with the specific aim of freeing up the hands for other tasks. Originally developed for theatrical purposes the device is ideal for a range of uses, particularly as a movable platform for Steadicam operators as well as to facilitate employee movement in various industries. Read More

Segway x2 enables a faster round of golf

By Mike Hanlon

November 7, 2006 Once billed as the future of personal mobility, the Segway has certainly had its fair share of trials and not many tribulations, but another of its many benefits surfaced this week in respect to its viability as an alternative to the golf kart. The Segway x2 Golf features a bag carrier, as well as a scorecard holder and special low-pressure tires that enable the x2 Golf to travel gently, causing less damage to the turf than a golf cart. In announcing that the Tiburon Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida would be the first in the country to offer the Segway x2 Golf to its clients, club officials had some very complimentary things to say after the club had conducted three months of testing. A typical round of golf at the course usually takes at least four hours, but the Segway’s zippiness enables 18 holes in less than three hours. Whatsmore, players who use the Segway products also find that it’s easier to talk because all four players can travel the course side by side, rather than having to split up into two separate golf carts. Read More

Second generation Segway takes self-balancing technology to the next level

By Mike Hanlon

August 15, 2006 Segway has unveiled the second generation Segway Personal Transporter (PT) featuring two new and interesting technologies - LeanSteer and a wireless InfoKey controller. The new line includes the versatile Segway i2 and a cross-terrain model called the Segway x2, as well as six product packages tailored to specific commercial and consumer market segments and riding environments. LeanSteer in many ways completes the Segway PT control interface, making it even more intuitive and appealing. Now, all aspects of movement are controlled by the direction the rider moves their body. Lean right to go right, lean left to go left - the Segway PT responds as the rider naturally leans in the desired direction of travel, rather than using a handlebar grip for turning, offering an even more intuitive and enjoyable riding experience that is easy to learn. The advanced design of the new Segway PT and its sophisticated software allow it to differentiate between the rider's steering and changes in the terrain, keeping the rider in a stable and comfortable position when traveling over uneven ground. The new wireless InfoKey controller is an all-in-one key and information center. It allows the rider to set the speed of the Segway PT, and acts as the speedometer, odometer, trip computer, and battery gauge. The InfoKey controller also activates a security system when the unit is parked. If the device is disturbed while the anti-theft alarm is activated, the wheels lock and the device emits an alarm. At the same time a visual alert is sent to the InfoKey controller to notify the owner of the disturbance. The InfoKey controller is small enough to fit onto a keychain or be carried in a pocket. Read More

SegSeats for Segways

By Mike Hanlon

June 13, 2006 The Segway is seen by many (us included) as a significant step in the history of personal transportation. We’re still waiting for the logical evolution of the Segway in the recreational vehicle mould (the outrageous Centaur Concept we dubbed the wheelie machine) but we’re still keen to see Dean Kamen’s next evolution of the Segway. In the meantime, we figure it’s worth mentioning the SegSeat – an accessory seat designed to enhance the Segway and mobilize the millions limited until now to scooters and wheelchairs. The SegSeat glides forward and back upon a braced rail, allowing sitting riders to emulate a standing rider's typical leaning movements that control the Segway. SegSeats are also collapsible, allowing standing riders to use modified vehicles without interference. Read More

Segway usage by police and security growing

By Mike Hanlon

May 31, 2006 It started life with one of the most disasterous Public Relations gaffes of all time, but has been gaining ground ever since and it’s still one of our favourite toys. Late last year, Segway introduced its i180 Police package, which has become the basis for many of the purchases by municipal police and private security firms in recent months, with an order announced yesterday for 100 extra Segways from the City of Chicago. Worldwide, more than 125 law enforcement agencies now use Segway HTs to patrol a variety of environments, including high-density urban centers, universities, medical center campuses, shopping malls and airports. Another dozen federal and municipal agencies use the products for bomb squad response and explosive ordinance disposal. Read More

New specialist Segway models with more power, options and off-road abilities

By Mike Hanlon

Segway's 2005 product line will feature three new models and lithium-ion batteries that double the range of the Human Transporter (HT). The line includes the new Segway HT i180 in Midnight Blue, Midnight Blue/Solar Yellow and Midnight Blue/Sport Red color combinations; the Segway Cross-Terrain Transporter (XT) and the Segway Golf Transporter (GT). Read More

Segway's Centaur Concept

By Mike Hanlon

January 10, 2005 Segway's Concept Centaur took centre stage today when Michelin announced its new TWEEL combination tyre-wheel. The Tweel was shown fitted to a Segway, an iBOT and Project Centaur, indicating for the first time from the company that the machine dubbed "The Wheelie Machine" has a commercial future. The Centaur is a lightweight, four-wheel concept vehicle combining the company's proprietary gyroscope-based dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems, and an intuitive user interface to create a unique four-wheel device that is easily controllable on two or four wheels. That's right, you'll be able to wheelstand out of sight the first time you ride it. Read More

Segway Distributor for Australia

By Mike Hanlon

October 16, 2004 Segway has appointed an exclusive Australian distributor, SegwaySouthernCross which will distribute and market Segway machines in Australia.

The Segway Human Transporter was released in April 2002 amid much fanfare and hype generated by the secrecy surrounding the project (aka Project Ginger), the presence of serial entrepreneur and inventor Dean Kamen and the number of high profile luminaries who had invested in the project during the early round private funding. It was seen by many as the future of human transport, a difficult claim to live up to and one which some parts of the media seemed to delight in negatively assessing it against. Read More

New Segway pSeries geared for portability

By Mike Hanlon

A smaller, lighter and more manoeuvrable version of the Segway Human Transporter has been released. The third in the line-up of battery-powered, self-balancing personal transportation devices, the new p Series model is geared towards short range commuting in crowded pedestrian environments with its a narrow footprint and portable design. Read More