Bush's fault
Posted on 09/14/2006 8:39:31 AM PDT by Cagey
Segway Inc. is recalling all 23,500 of the self-balancing scooters it has shipped to date because of a software glitch that can make its wheels unexpectedly reverse direction, causing riders to fall off -- and in at least one incident, break some teeth.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, with whom Segway is cooperating on the voluntary recall announced Thursday, said consumers should stop using the vehicles immediately. Segway has received six reports of problems with the Personal Transporter, resulting in head and wrist injuries. The vehicles were previously known as the Human Transporter.
Segway is offering a free software upgrade that will fix the problem. The upgrades will be done at Segway's 100 dealerships and service centers around the world, according to Segway spokeswoman Carla Vallone, and the company based in Bedford, N.H., will pay to ship the devices to the appropriate center if need be.
It is the second time the scooters, which sell for about $4,000 to $5,500, have been recalled since they first went on sale in 2002. The 2003 recall involved the first 6,000 of the devices sold, and involved a problem that could cause riders to fall off the device when its battery ran out of juice.
Segway Chief Technology Officer Doug Field, who has been involved with the development of the device since its earliest days, said the problem that sparked the latest recall was found while the company was testing its new model. He said a very unusual and specific set of conditions can cause the problem.
The scooter's speed is determined by how far forward the user leans, and if the rider leans too far forward, a "speed limiter" pushes them back to keep the device at its maximum speed of 12.5 mph.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.moneycentral.msn.com ...
Anyone remember when this was being marketed as "IT" - the invention that would revolutionize modern civilization?
ping
Bush's fault
I do, just saw the newest one demo'd - they have made some super new modifications.
I recall the phrase "Bigger than the internet".
I remember, the did a good buildup for IT, then when they displayed the thing, I thought "What a ***** waste of advertising money."
I had my doubts when the inventor claimed that cities would be designed around it. A true engineering marvel doesn't need to be designed around.
I bet Mom could handle it. They always can. LOL
Was going to change our lives, the way we design our cities, etc.
Bush's fault
So... you're saying that Karl Rove snuck into the Segway production line and inserted a glitch into the source code to cleverly distract from W's klutziness?
I question the timing!
Its hard to believe 23,700 people actually bought these things.
PERFORM UNTIL NOT Valid
EVALUATE TRUE
WHEN "Rider leans too far forward"
PERFORM "Sub 657" [Push back]
WHEN "Rider steps off" [time=0][count]
PERFORM Sub 923, [[Stop]]
WHEN "Rider steps back on" [count=5],Digit, Sub556PERFORM "Haul a$$ in reverse"
PERFORM "Wait".
END-EVALUATE
END-PERFORM
STOP RUN.
I'm not sure what's the bigger news here, the recall or the admission that in 4 years they haven't even managed to sell 24,000 of the things.
It sounded so much sexier when they called it "Ginger".
Loved that software fix - LOL.
Have seen one person regularly riding a Segway on the sidewalks near my office in DC - they look utterly ridiculous. Guess that whole "redesigning cities" thing is going to have to wait . . .
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