The Segway

[devildog683]

[Jeff Jarvis]

Peder,

Thanks for starting the thread.

Almost 700 hits

[peder.klockmann]

Peder,

Thanks for starting the thread.

Almost 700 hits 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, but i'm kind of disapointed that no one at all has commented on riding it in a village

[Jeff Jarvis]

Our jet packs are on back order so the hilltribe village tour is postponed.

[Crossy]

This has got a bit off the original 'joke' but whilst we are discussing the Segway:-

I still don't see the point. The Segway is a superb piece of engineering but is WAY too complicated for use here. How well does the electronics handle the heat??

I am a great advocate of the engineering concept of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Remove the salad-dressing and add a 3rd wheel and a seat, all the same advantages, 1% of the maintenance / repair problems. But then it would just be another electric scooter.

Maybe I should market it

Edited May 24, 2005 by Crossy

[sriracha john]

Peder,

Thanks for starting the thread.

Almost 700 hits 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hahahaha.... ranks right up there with the John Krukowski hypnotist inane "advertising" thread disguised as something other than what it was...

the only difference being you didn't start it.... nevertheless, Congratulations... He said the same thing about that thread so I guess you're in good company.... hahahahaha...

[Jeff Jarvis]

That is humorous.

A couple people have "Segway issues" and I get hundreds of hits on my website.

Pictures of Segways in Thailand here:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/youngjarvis/...m/ph//my_photos

[sriracha john]

That is humorous.

A couple people have "Segway issues" and I get hundreds of hits on my website.  

Pictures of Segways in Thailand here:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/youngjarvis/...m/ph//my_photos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At nearly US$10,000 each, I'm sure actual sales, versus "hits" on a website, must be very brisk...

Irregardless, as similiarly was said by others to the Master Hype-no-tist, best of luck to you in your business endeavors.

[taxexile]

on the segway tours of bangkok , how does the machine deal with raised kerbs , potholes on the road, uneven paving (sometimes a drop of about 6").

would such obstacles render this contraption redundant.

can this machine be used as a genuine alternative to cars and motorcycles in bangkok or thailand , given the state of the surfaces here , or is it only useful for short tourist tours around pre-determined routes well away from traffic within 10 minutes of base.

as for your comment about clive sinclair , yes he was well ahead of his time , inventing and marketing the first l.e.d. watch, the first personal computer , the electronic calculator and the infamous c3.

the c3 failed for one reason only , people collapsed with laughter whenever somebody sailed by on a c3 , it made people look ridiculous and got in the way of real traffic. much the same as the segway .

nobody will buy someting that reduces them to a joke , thats why clowns costumes havent been sweeping the market.

you will always get lots of hits on your website , people are curious.

but i have yet to see one on the streets here , privately owned and in regular use.

battery technology will soon be advanced enough to power cars and then we can drive in our cars with weather protection and music and comfortable seats to view your segways in the museum of redundant technology.

segway ? its just on the left between the c3's and the coal fired toothbrush.

Edited May 25, 2005 by taxexile

[Jeff Jarvis]

Tough crowd

"At nearly US$10,000 each, I'm sure actual sales, versus "hits" on a website, must be very brisk... "

$4,500usd + a 60% Thai duty. We are working on getting them exempt or even subsidized by the authorities. Thaksins son is a big Segway fan and this admin. is wanting to project a high tech image.

(we have excellent condtion,used Segways starting at 200,000bht)

The new Airport is looking at them for security, managment , medical personel and engineers.

Police departments, Convention centers, factories and security folks are some of the largest purchasers.

We had inquiries last week from Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Borneo and India.

I remember when home sattelite TV dishes cost $6000usd and were 4 meters wide.

20 years from now a decent PEV(personal electric vehicle) will cost about $500 and will be as common as Cell Phones, Computers and TVs.

"on the segway tours of bangkok , how does the machine deal with raised kerbs , potholes on the road, uneven paving (sometimes a drop of about 6").

would such obstacles render this contraption redundant."

Our Segway ride has been carefully planned to keep our riders safe. No serious obstacles.

(sidenote:Dean Kamen took a Segway wheelchair from the Paris Metro to the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.)

Why don't you come by and watch me take a Segway down stairs sometime?

The solid state gyroscopes sensors are constantly measuring, yaw, pitch and roll to keep the platform level.

The standup Segway Transporter has problems going up over any obsticle over 6 inches.

It has a clever power assist mode for humping it up a curb or steps.

I'm not saying the PEVs are perfect but they can replace 80% of cars being used on the city streets.

Why would anyone choose a car for a 12 block errand if they had an alternative PEV?

"nobody will buy someting that reduces them to a joke , thats why clowns costumes havent been sweeping the market"

Try taking a car from Soi 4 to Soi 5 sometime.

Sitting in a car in traffic with a huge red hot engine spewing toxic fumes looks trendy I suppose.

The investors built a factory capable of producing 40,000 units per month.

Maybe they forgot the dork factor in their business plan?

800 hits, wow!

[Insight]

(Can't help but feel a bit bad typing this Jeff, considering the beating you've already taken, but...)

Who are you targeting mostly regarding sales? Thais or westerners?

Thais (and Asians in general) love their cars. Big car = lots of face. No doubt you're aware of this already, but considering the cost of a Segway (expensive, only carries one person, not so fast, looks a bit pants) I reckon you're going to have a very difficult time trying to sway opinion there.

[taxexile]

i'm not saying it isnt a piece of useful technology , there must be a use for something like that , but i dont think it is on city streets , fit it with a rotary blade and make it a remote controlled lawn mower , yes , you will sell a ton of them.

it smacks too much of some of those 1950's wishful thinking ads for futuristic products from the realms of sci-fi , little personal space ships , ray guns and transporters kind of stuff , all whizzing by tall buildings connected by tubes and stuff.

Why would anyone choose a car for a 12 block errand if they had an alternative PEV?

why would anyone choose a segway for a 12 block errand if they have got a pair of legs.

Sitting in a car in traffic with a huge red hot engine spewing toxic fumes looks trendy I suppose

if that car happens to be a nice bentley or porsche then yes.

people have been trying to get other people out of cars for a long time and have yet to succeed. so long as car manufacturers keep coming up with seductive products the majority of car owning people will always take the car over any other form of transport.

the segway may be useful and sensible like soya beans and cardigans , but it will never be "sexy" , and thats why it will never be more than a niche product , a few may end up buzzing around in airports and factories , but most will end up like sinclairs c3 , buy one get one free ! please.

its not an aspirational purchase in the way a new car is.

[Jeff Jarvis]

Cars were a tough sell 100 year ago.

I bet that the people riding horses had similar remarks.

20 years later, the infrastructure was in place and cars took over.

(big mistake considering the average speed in Bangkok is slower than horse and buggy days)

The average speed in 20 years is predicted to be 2kph.

Most cities were developed before the car and the car has ruined things for pedestrians. Cars have no business in downtown areas and should be left at the city limits.

Better public transport like Skytrains, Subways, electric busses, bikes and PEVs will all contribute to make our cities great places to live again.

Pedestrians, bike riders, and silent compact PEVs will demand more space one lane at a time.

Less cars means more room for parks and a safer, healthier enviroment for pedestrians.

No hard feelings, just come by for a free spin.

[Insight]

Ah well...

The odds were a hundred to one against me

The world thought the heights were too high to climb

But people from missouri never incensed me

Oh, I wasn't a bit concerned

For from history I had learned

How many, many times the worm had turned

They all laughed at christopher columbus

When he said the world was round

They all laughed when edison recorded sound

They all laughed at wilbur and his brother

When they said that man could fly

They told marconi

Wireless was a phony

It?s the same old cry

They laughed at me wanting you

Said I was reaching for the moon

But oh, you came through

Now they?ll have to change their tune

They all said we never could be happy

They laughed at us and how!

But ho, ho, ho!

Who?s got the last laugh now?

They all laughed at rockefeller center

Now they're fighting to get in

They all laughed at whitney and his cotton gin

They all laughed fulton and his steamboat

Hershey and his chocolate bar

Ford and his lizzie

Kept the laughers busy

That's how people are

They laughed at me wanting you

Said it would be, "hello, goodbye."

But oh, you came through

Now they're eating humble pie

They all said we'd never get together

Darling, let's take a bow

For ho, ho, ho!

Who's got the last laugh?

Hee, hee, hee!

Let's at the past laugh

Ha, ha, ha!

Who's got the last laugh now?

[Jeff Jarvis]

"it smacks too much of some of those 1950's wishful thinking ads for futuristic products from the realms of sci-fi"

Wishfull thinkers. I'll be pleased to be considered in that catagory.

[taxexile]

Most cities were developed before the car and the car has ruined things for pedestrians. Cars have no business in downtown areas and should be left at the city limits.

Better public transport like Skytrains, Subways, electric busses, bikes and PEVs will all contribute to make our cities great places to live again.

Pedestrians, bike riders, and silent compact PEVs will demand more space one lane at a time.

true , cars etc. have ruined cities but for a lot of people who cant walk or who have to carry large loads and deliveries around cars are the only way.

people will not forsake cars for segways or other kinds of funny looking vehicles

the only way to get people out of cars is to tax them exhorbitantly and unfairly for using them in cities , this has already been done in one brave city (london) with some success , but the car manufacturing and oil lobbies wont like it if too many cities start banning cars.

Less cars means more room for parks and a safer, healthier enviroment for pedestrians.

with decent planning cars and pedestrians can be separated quite successfully ,( if they had built suspended walkways in the shade and out of the rain under the skytrain bangkok would be a finer place )

No hard feelings, just come by for a free spin.

i thought they were not supposed to spin.

[Jeff Jarvis]

"the only way to get people out of cars is to tax them exhorbitantly and unfairly for using them in cities , this has already been done in one brave city (london) with some success"

You hit the nail on the head!

All cities are looking for solutions to traffic and will follow models in places like London and Singapore.

Cars are getting squeezed out already. Look at the average speed, average trip length, cost per mile and damage to the enviroment.

You really believe that in 25 years that cars will be welcome in downtown areas?

Edited May 25, 2005 by Jeff Jarvis

[taxexile]

.............. and the only way to get people on to segways will be to pay them handsomely !!!!

[peder.klockmann]

Take a second to think about the oil companys. How many billions of dollars of liquid capital do you think they have? Money talks.

I don't think that any of this will kick off in our lifetime. If this does, we must first think about the oil companys and all of thier millions of employees that will be put out of work. Once they are all out of their jobs don't you think that the worlds ecomonys will feels the impact?

What will happen then?

Or is my imagination just way off key here?

[kreon]

i for one agree with jeff, and think that its got a great future ahead

obviously for safety reasons they will have to create designated segway paths, simular to bicycle paths in holland (heavens forbid thai motorbike riders will use it)

they did have an electric car project once in amsterdam that failed, not sure why

in bangkok, the will have to clean-up all the foothpath obstacles etc, also you will need electric recharge stations with aircon and a cold beer just to cool-off

btw i saw a disabled guy about a year ago in front of soi 15, he had no legs but sat on top of one and it had no handle bar, the two wheels where his legs so to speak, not sure if it was a segway

and what about the safety factor

how about starting a segway polo competition in bangkok

Edited May 25, 2005 by kreon

[Jeff Jarvis]

"Take a second to think about the oil companys. How many billions of dollars of liquid capital do you think they have? "

The efficieny of a Segway equals 450MPG. Definetly not OPEC friendly.

"we must first think about the oil companys and all of thier millions of employees that will be put out of work. Once they are all out of their jobs don't you think that the worlds ecomonys will feels the impact?"

We could wait till the oil runs out then lay them off......

[Boatabike]

Can't help but think of the invasion of the Daleks (Dr who) first kerb or step they came to & invasion canceled. I also checked out the pictures from the link posted. "Elephants and segway" personaly i think getting Thais on them will be tough going, but elephants? No sir just wont fit.

I agree with some of what you are trying to do here, electric non poluting transport is the future, but i do believe that 75 years of man hours into design was wasted. It will not sell, a few maybe but i can't think of a single person i know who would be seen using one. I would suggest you get another 75 yrs man hours started on the mark 2 and make it look like something people can be seen on! I do wish you luck, the over weight american market is your best bet, maybe you could do a promotion deal with Mac D's get them to put nice smooth pavements routes to all there outlets so access for the "greatly in need of a big mac but to fat to walk" can still access them! Just an idea. What i do admire is your willingness to stand by your belief in them. good luck.

[peder.klockmann]

Da.mn that guy looks cool!

LMAO

[peder.klockmann]

Just a couple opinions I've found from people and their sources. To bring the humor back into this thread... since it is in the jokes section.

I'm a lazy guy. Real lazy. As in, I'd rather go without ketchup on my burger than have to struggle with a condiment that refuses to drip out of its bottle. Yeah, that lazy. But even I am not lazy enough to think those stupid Segway Human Transporters are a good idea. I've seen a handful of people scooting around town on them and you know what they all have in common? They look like idiots.

That being said, I have yet to actually see somebody fall off a Segway when it runs out of juice, though apparently that's become an epidemic. The mere thought of seeing somebody fall off a Segway brings a smile to my face. The only thing I could envision being any more hilarious would be if the person falling off the Segway was a midget. No wait - an angry midget. Or even better - an angry midget with a pet monkey. Ahhh, it's the simple things in life that bring me such joy...

http://www.thetimekiller.com/2003/09/stupi...m-lazy-guy.html

...It (The Segway) does all of this for a price of about $4950. So, why in the world would I say it's stupid? Well, that's because there is one invention that has existed for a lot longer and that can do more. Perhaps you have heard of it: it's called the bicycle.

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transport, went off saying that laws would have to be changed and cities redesigned to accommodate these things. Have you ever been in a city that didn't have sidewalks? Lots of cities have been taking some street space and adding 3-4 foot wide bicycle lanes. The rules for bikes: same as for cars. That's right, if you speed, you are ticketed. Go through a red light? Ticketed. It's just another vehicle, just like the Segway.

Of course, with my bike I've never had to recharge it. Under the right conditions, my bike will go 30 miles per hour. I've pedaled my bike more than 25 miles in a single day. And, I can ride it on sidewalks. I can also ride it on gravel, through water and mud, and there is plenty of parking for it at work, shopping areas, and other places. So, why would I spend $4950 on a Segway when I could get a really good bike for $500. If I was super particular, I could spend as much as $2500 on a bike. So, who buys a Segway? I can only think of one answer: rich, lazy, stupid people. I can imagine their thought process already:

"Hmmmm. How would I get to a place that isn't too far away? I want to get there faster than I could by simply walking, and it needs to take care of this wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket. I could get a bike, but that won't use enough cash. Not only that, but the bike actually requires me to exert a tiny bit of effort to move. I don't want to lose these hard-earned love handles. I know! I'll buy a Segway! They're really cool, expensive, and have limited utility. Besides, how else can I prove to my friends that it really was luck, not smarts, that got me where I am today?"

Then, the retard buys one and can't park it anywhere. Take it to the mall? No. Where do you park it? Take it to work? Not if you work in a cube farm. And how do you get it through the lobby without looking like a moron?

I'm fairly certain that all Segway owners never really thought through why they bought the thing. I live near Redmond, Washington and would have assumed that someone at Microsoft would be using their toy to get around. On any given day, I may see several varieties of bike (electric assist for going uphill, recumbent, mountain bike, racing bike, standard 10 speed, etc.). I still haven't seen a Segway in use. Why? The bike makes sense. The Segway doesn't. It's a turd.

http://www.scottseely.com/the_segway_is_stupid.htm

Now, with all that set aside... how many of you out there would be proud to ride this around town in traffic instead? It uses hydrogen fuel cells.

It's called the Quark, by Peugeot.

This is a product that I personally would rather invest in.

[Boatabike]

Now that is sexy, and i bet they didnt take 75yrs man hours to design it either!

[peder.klockmann]

Now that is sexy, and i bet they didnt take 75yrs man hours to design it either!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, and the best part is that you can sit down

[chuchok]

Take a second to think about the oil companys.  How many billions of dollars of liquid capital do you think they have?  Money talks. 

I don't think that any of this will kick off in our lifetime.  If this does, we must first think about the oil companys and all of thier millions of employees that will be put out of work.  Once they are all out of their jobs don't you think that  the worlds ecomonys will feels the impact?

What will happen then?

Or is my imagination just way off key here?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Peder, you don't really think this do you?

[peder.klockmann]

Take a second to think about the oil companys.  How many billions of dollars of liquid capital do you think they have?  Money talks. 

I don't think that any of this will kick off in our lifetime.  If this does, we must first think about the oil companys and all of thier millions of employees that will be put out of work.  Once they are all out of their jobs don't you think that  the worlds ecomonys will feels the impact?

What will happen then?

Or is my imagination just way off key here?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Peder, you don't really think this do you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know, I havn't really thought it through yet. Just something that popped in my head.

[Jeff Jarvis]

Now that is sexy, and i bet they didnt take 75yrs man hours to design it either!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very cool machine. Look for many new types of transport coming along,

like this: http://collinfo.annauniv.edu:6060/sme/reso...asp?articleID=9

Segway Co. is not interested in flash. They painted it the same color as the stealth bomber.

Cramming all that technology into the base is a technological feat.

You'd agree if you had a clue.

Some things that can't be seen have value.

The software in your computer for example.

Hundreds of man years, it's invisible and worth billions.

[peder.klockmann]

Oh man, I want one of these things so bad!!!

The numbers in the picture:

1 Instead of an ignition key, the Quark uses a "removable interactive interface," which is a PDA-style device that plugs into the chassis to provide rider ID authentication. It also serves as an information panel.

2 Normally, fuel cells require bulky water-cooling systems, but the Quark is air-cooled, reducing overall size and keeping the system from freezing in low temperatures.

3 The 9-liter hydrogen tank can be pressurized to 10,150 psi, giving the Quark a range of up to 80 miles. The tank is designed to be popped out when empty and swapped with a full one.

4 Each 17-in. wheel is fitted with an electric motor that produces 74 lb.-ft. of torque. These motors also can be used for regenerative braking.

source = http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/te...ch/1303251.html