Competitive version of "IT"
Posted on 03/18/2002 12:18:59 PM PST by ValerieUSA
The once-secret product "Ginger," also known as "IT," has been declared so revolutionary that it would "change the way cities are designed," according to one high-tech luminary, Apple Computer's Steve Jobs.
But some cities aren't sure they're ready for this computerized "human transporter," a sort of high-tech scooter that can carry a rider at up to 10 mph -- potentially at odds with pedestrians on busy sidewalks. And its New Hampshire inventor, Dean Kamen, has feared his product might be regulated right out of the reach of consumers.
Fear not. The Segway Human Transporter, or HT, has apparently rolled over the legal barrier that stood between it and Washington's consumers.
Segway, which unleashed lobbyists all over the country, found a friend in this state in Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, an amateur inventor who says he's been fascinated by Kamen's invention for the last 2 1/2 years.
Kastama steered a bill through the Legislature that classifies the Segway as "having all the rights and duties of a pedestrian." Under the new legislation, the Segway is neither a motor vehicle nor a motorcycle, does not require a license to operate and can operate on sidewalks and in streets.
For the Segway, it was a crucial victory, say Kastama and Segway spokesman Tobe Cohen, director of marketing for Segway.
"From our perspective, the key is making sure we're seen for what we are, and that is an enhancement for the pedestrian," Cohen said.
The consumer model of the HT looks something like an upright push lawn mower, except the user stands on it, 6 inches off the ground. It weighs 69 pounds and fits into the trunk of a regular sedan.
Although pedestrians walk about 3 mph, the Segway goes up to 10 mph. The machine can turn in place.
It's battery-operated and can travel about nine miles on a single charge, according to the company. The Segway uses complex computerized gyroscopes to be self-balancing and has no brakes or accelerator. To go forward, the operator leans forward and to stop, leans back slightly. Baskets can be mounted on them to carry packages.
A key worry of Kamen, Segway's inventor, has been that the HT would be banned from sidewalks or slapped with other hobbling regulations. This would be because of existing laws that didn't anticipate the Segway, the natural resistance to something different or threatened competitors who would try to kill it at birth.
In Washington, Segway's lobbying victory was somewhat muted. Kastama and Segway did not get everything they initially sought.
Kastama's original bill said that a city could ban the operation of Segways on roads where the speed limit was above 35 mph, but could not otherwise regulate the Segway. But the Association of Washington Cities lobbied successfully to get rid of that shackle on cities.
"We're not really anticipating any problems. But, on other hand, we need to be sure we're able to correct them if they do arise," said Jim Seitz, a transportation specialist with the Association of Washington Cities. "We want to be able to regulate it like every other mode out there. We don't want to have any special exceptions."
The bill that passed stops cities from banning Segways completely from sidewalks or regular streets, Kastama said. It awaits Gov. Gary Locke's signature.
"I want people who buy them to know they can go out on the road and on the sidewalk and use them," Kastama said.
Safety concerns are focused on truck routes, areas near schools and congested pedestrian areas such as Alaskan Way or downtown Seattle.
"It's impossible to tip over," says Kastama, an unabashed fan of the Segways who had a model flown in for fellow legislators to try out. "You have to experience it. It has the ability when it runs into something -- the minute it touches something -- it pulls back."
And users can set a governor to control maximum speeds if they choose, he notes.
"The level of safety and quality is that which you would find in a medical device," Kastama said.
But Peter Lagerwey, pedestrian and bicycle program coordinator for Seattle Transportation, wants to see the Segway in action before he draws any conclusions about how safe and how revolutionary it is.
"At this point, we just don't know for sure how it's going to fit into the transportation mix," he said.
The first consumer versions of the Segway are expected to go on sale at the end of the year for about $3,000, and Seattle is expected to be one of the early markets, Cohen said. The company plans to sell the HT in stores where customers can try them out and be trained in their use, he said. Whether those will be Segway stores or other established stores hasn't been decided yet, he said.
Kastama plans to be one of the first in line to buy one.
"I believe this will give more mobility to disabled people and senior people," Kastama says. "Someday, I think you'll see them in restaurants, shopping malls, retail stores."
Cohen says that the HT will fill the niche between the walk and the drive. People typically are willing to walk about 20 minutes or a mile or less, he said. Beyond that, they get in their cars and drive.
"A car is not designed to travel one or two miles," Cohen said. "Our product is a solution for that gap in between."
Some have wondered whether the $3,000 price tag will limit the appeal. But Cohen says, "It's not dissimilar from other high-tech products full of complicated, sophisticated equipment. Certainly I remember the day when $3,000 for a PC was normal."
Amazon.com is auctioning off three First Edition Segways. As of Friday, more than $105,000 had been bid for each.
Lagerwey says: "The Segway is a fascinating idea. I think it's going to generate some interest. Whether the consumer buys it in large numbers remains to be seen." However, he adds: "I might be in line to buy one. It looks like a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, the company also offers two other versions of the HT, which are similar to the consumer version but are heavier and go faster and farther. Police departments and companies have expressed interest.
The U.S. Postal Service has been trying them out on postal routes in Tampa, Fla., and Concord, N.H. The formal report hasn't been made public yet, but spokeswoman Sue Brennan said, "It's worked very well."
In Tampa, carriers used the Segway on what are known as "park and loop" routes, where they normally drive a vehicle to a neighborhood, park, and then carry 35 pounds of mail from house to house.
The Segway took the load off their shoulders and speeded up their routes. "They liked it very well," Brennan said.
"We're hoping it will reduce injuries. Our carriers get hurt all the time."
One downside, Brennan said, was that the HT speeded up delivery so much that carriers were not able to prepare their mail between houses. It's possible the Segway will work better in areas where houses are farther apart, she said.
The trial in New Hampshire is supposed to test how the Segway does in a cold, snowy climate, but very little snow fell in Concord this year. So the agency is testing the Segway at ski areas and skating rinks. The HT has specially designed "sticky" tires for snow and ice.
"They can go over all types of yards and gravel, sidewalks that are beat-up and curbs as well," Brennan said. "They were designed to do that. The device is actually pretty ingenious. It was designed to be a people mover in all types of situations."
The Postal Service recently scheduled two new trials, one in Memphis and one in Oklahoma.
"We're very serious about this as a way to enhance the delivery of the mail," Brennan said. "There hasn't been anything to enhance delivery of our mail in a very long time."
This thing gave me an idea a few months ago that I implemented early this month - and it was a big success: I bought a foldable Oxygen "razor" type scooter to use during lunchbreak in downtown Seattle. I am able to go from the south side of the city up to Lake Union in 1/3 the time it takes to walk. The buses are a lousy alternative because they never seem to be there when you want them.
I walk up the steep hills and coast or push on the flats and downhills. It works great! I sometimes get funny looks though. I'm typically wearing sport coat and slacks and I suppose it looks a little odd.
From what I'v experienced with my little human powered scooter, I think the segway is gonna happen, and eventually in a big way.
Competitive version of "IT"
2) Why should it legal to ride this thing on a sidewalk, but not skates, skateboards, and various type of scooters? Many communitys have done everything they can to ban skateboards, but I have a feeling that for $3000 the Segway will get some type of elitist exception.
3) If I try to enhance the performance of a Segway, will I be in violation of the DMCA?
take one day before they are driven drunk and you will have one big 'ole government revenue maker....I aint no Libertarian,so spare the flames.
Of course it's a stupid and ugly thing and I can't wait to see what happens when the rider get's nailed by a heavy wind. So it wouldn't bother me to see it banned, but that's what campaign donations are all about.
To go forward, the operator leans forward and to stop, leans back slightly
When it runs into something, it stops and reverses, unless it is running over your foot. Then inertia causes the rider to fall forward, causing IT to speed up.
Sounds safe to me.
That's why we have legs.
You walk two miles to the grocery? I doubt it.
Until someone invents a way to remotely tickle the gyro feedback circuits. Can you say "face plant"?
Also, this thing is much slower than a bicycle. It can be rigged to have a top speed of 4 mph -- a fast walk.
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