ABCNEWS' Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer joined inventor Dean Kamen for a ride on his new invention — the Segway Human Transporter. (ABCNEWS.com)
Posted on 12/03/2001 4:17:56 PM PST by spycatcher
ABCNEWS' Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer joined inventor Dean Kamen for a ride on his new invention — the Segway Human Transporter. (ABCNEWS.com)
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'IT' Gets Around
Mysterious Invention Moves People  N E W Y O R K, Dec. 3
— After nearly a year of speculation, Dean Kamen's mysterious machine — IT — was revealed on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America. |
While Kamen's invention, the Segway Human Transporter, does move people, it doesn't leave the ground — and it's powered by a battery. The inventor revealed his two-wheeled personal transportation device, intended for a single standing rider, today on Good Morning America. "This is the world's first self-balancing human transporter," Kamen said. "You stand on this Segway Human Transporter and you think forward and then you go forward. If you think backward, you go backward." The transporter, which can go up to 12 miles an hour, looks more like a lawn mower than a scooter and has no brakes. It is designed to mimic the human body's ability to maintain its balance; riders control the speed and direction of the device simply by shifting their weight and using a manual turning mechanism on one of the handlebars. "All of the knowledge that went into knowing how to walk is transferred to this machine," Kamen said. "When you stand on this machine, it kind of walks for you. It just does it smoothly and gracefully." The 65-pound device, also known by its former code name, "Ginger," looks simple, but its inner workings are intricate. Tilt sensors monitor the rider's center of gravity more than 100 times a second, and are able to signal both the direction and the speed to the device's electric motor and wheels.
Kamen says the Segway can take its rider up to 15 miles on a six-hour charge from a regular wall socket. He bills it as an environmentally friendly alternative to cars, and expects that in the future the devices will replace the car in urban centers. The first models are expected to be available to consumers in about a year at a price of about $3,000, said Kamen. Source of Endless Speculation Kamen already has a series of high-profile inventions under his belt. He created a dialysis machine that is the size of a briefcase, a portable insulin pump and a wheelchair that climbs stairs, called iBot, which he had code-named "Fred." Word of IT first leaked out in January when the media learned that a publisher had paid a $250,000 advance for a book about a device by Kamen the editor said could transform our lives, our cities and our thinking. That sparked off a media frenzy — and the guessing game. But the high-powered innovators and thinkers Kamen showed his invention to — including technology heavyweights Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Steve Jobs — remained tight-lipped. Bob Metcalf, a computer engineer who helped create the building blocks for the Internet, revealed a few details to ABCNEWS about Kamen's invention nearly a year before IT was revealed. "I've seen it, and it is… more important than pantyhose and it's more important than the Internet," said Metcalf in an interview in January. He said that on a scale of one to 10 — one being mundane and 10 being revolutionary — he would rank Kamen's invention "in the high nines." He implied that the device would contain a computer chip, that it may have to do with transportation, and that people would probably want to own more than one. Kamen, who kept his invention a secret in the face of mass speculation, said his silence was not part of a plan to build public interest. When information about his invention was leaked, he still had to file hundreds of patent claims. "We always work on our confidential projects confidentially," Kamen said. "Unfortunately, somebody in their excitement let the world know what we were working on a year ago and we weren't ready." The United States Postal Service and the National Park Service have plans to field test a number of the personal transportation devices next year. "We've got a quarter of a million letter carriers out on the street," said John Nolan, the deputy postmaster general, "and we've got the opportunity to increase efficiency reduce the wear and tear on their bodies and improve the environment all the same time." But will it transform lives, cities and even thinking, as first hyped in the media? Futurists who considered themselves skeptics were initially impressed. "This is a marvelous first device," said Paul Saffo, the director of the Institute for the Future. "It remains open to see if it's going to grow up and go out into the world at large, but it's clearly gotten far enough to be practical in places like warehouses and industrial campuses." There does seem to be a clear consensus: It is a bold attempt to not just reinvent the wheel but to reinvent the ways wheels can be used. ABCNEWS' Antonio Mora contributed to this report. |
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Uphill?
That has not been stated; Kamen was quoted as having said, "Think forward, it goes forward..." I doubt that the device as illustrated can house a battery with an energy-density sufficient to achieve 12-17MPH for 12-17 miles of travel over diverse topography. Have you ever used a playground swing?
I did a little bit of research at www.segway.com. Check out their flash presentation.
I won't be investing in this product.
I suggest you run out and buy that three thousand dollar scooter and live guilt free in your own mind. Pardon me if I don't.
I was quite impressed with the way it accomodated itself to her idiocy. While the rapid shaking visible (the control "stick" was flapping back and forth at a rapid clip) looked like it would toss her into low earth orbit, it was actually exactly what was necessary to keep her from falling off the machine. She did her best (inadvertently) to get herself tossed off the ride, but it was able to put itself through crazy lookin gyrations that were precisely measured and timed to protect her from herself.
Pretty impressive idiot-proofing IMO.
$$$
"Since as you say you can't walk for more than a few feet, it's got to be hard to stand, too?"
Not for short periods of time. If I pace myself, I can accompany my wife to a trip to Wal-mart or similar, as long as we don't do it every day, and we take breathers every so often. It's sustained output that gets me, i.e., a walk to the pond, working in the garden, stuff like that. Sometimes I get whupped before I realize it, (like when working in the garden), and it hits me all at once when I stop -- or, hits me by surprise, forcing me to stop. I imagine you're familiar with the phenomenon.
" From what I've seen, this device doesn't turn by leaning into turns (maybe the rider does and a sensor detects that direction), one wheel moves faster on one side to effect the turn. How is adding another two wheels going to affect that, passive castors aside? And since this guy's an engineer, why have passive casters? Oh yeah, the castors were only for stabilization, not for the driving wheels."
I'm not the one advocating for adding more wheels or casters. IMO the next generation will go to single wheel design, which will retain the current front/back stability, and add turn/bank stability too. (just like a bicycle or motorcycle). The current incarnation's achille's heel IMO is the need to slow down to turn (unless the platform is able to "bank" while the wheels remain level).
" If you added his gyro system it would eliminate this problem but what have you gained?"
Nothing, while stationary (other than "wow factor"), but you'd gain maneuverability and stability while moving.
"Only this device will work for the P.O? and other agencies and warehouses, cmon now?"
First, they're getting it at a bargain price, when you factor in the R&D expended in getting the first unit out the door. Second, they (and quite a few others) apparently believe that the increased productivity will more than pay for the machines. I find it interesting to note that the people who are the most enthusiastic about the device seem to be those who have had close-up/hands-on experience with it. That says something IMO.
"For your 155, see my 127, item #4" ... (you): "if you only used one caster and you leaned into the direction opposite the castor, you'd fall over so you put one on the front and one on the back and hopefully make them of better quality materials than the ones on the shopping carts I always seem to always pick." (me): "This vehicle uses those forces, rather than having to work around them."
See my (me) inline comment above, swiped from my 155; I'm not the guy advocating for casters. This device is inherently stable because it uses the forces that work against other (traditional) devices. It's vehicular jujitsu.
Segway goes 12 MPH. Not many people out there "walk" a five-minute mile, lazy or not.
Ah, but that's the whole idea!
This scooter does not use gyros to stay vertical -- it only uses them to detect its attitude, and adjust the torque to the wheels accordingly.
When you slow down to a stop, you lean back. If you close your eyes, you'll feel like you're in a "down elevator" that's slowing to a stop when it reaches the lobby. Straight-down pressure on the soles of your feet.
It's not fighting the "flip flop" factor, it's cashing in on it! Picture a baseball player slowing down from a run to a base, with is feet forward, leaning back. Same idea, basically.
One of the other problem with the Segway is the body position control. Sure it seems cool, no control surfaces to master a learning curve measured in seconds. But it only seems cool if you never walked around downtown Chicago during autumn. I've been hit by winds hard enough to tilt my body, and when I think of getting tilted by wind while on a device that will try to go in the direction my body is leaning I see trouble."
Did you see the handle post do a rapid back-forth flutter when Diane Sawyer let go of it in a panic? Those apparently wild flutters were precisely what was necessary to keep stable. You will note that she did not go flying off. The thing self-corrects 100 times per second.
"On another note this thing will be useless for the handicapped. Most people who have difficulties moving around the real problem is with supporting their weight while verticle. They can't handle standing in line any better than they can walking. This is a stand to operate vehicle, anybody that thinks it will improve the mobility of the handicapped is drunk."
By "handicapped", I presume you mean paralyzed legs. Well, picture the same thing, but with either a seat, or a standing brace. It will become the ultimate prosthetic. They'll be able to control it with subtle upper body movement. It would probably be possible to control it with nothing more than head movement.
Imagine how your paralyzed friend would feel if he could walk next to you on a hike through the woods? Go fishing with you? Rabbit or pheasant hunting? Try that in a wheelchair!
"Then there's the 65 pounds and major width. This is not a man portable vehicle. If you have any stairs to navigate you're SOL"
Major width? Huh? It's a couple inches wider than the people who rode it on GMA. It's probably narrower than me. :) As to the stairs, it has a "follow" mode. You step off, and tug on the handle, and it only has to carry its own weight.
"And it's too wide to mingle with traffic on the roads like bicycles."
It's not really that wide, and besides, it's designed for sidewalks, not roads. The rest of your worries mentioned in that paragraph are silly. It's like arguing against automobiles, because "what happens if granny closes her eyes and stomps on the gas?"
"What we have here is some really cool technology used to make an incredibly lame device."
That's quite the indictment. Me, I'm kinda lame, and I could sure use one to help compensate for it. I'd spend a lot more time outdoors, rather than in front of my computer.
"I'm glad one of the postal tests is in New Hampshire in January, nothing like a New England winter to test out a vehicle concept."
What will you say if after the trial, everyone is grinning ear to ear, reporting incredibly higher productivity, beaucoup dollars saved (even when factoring in cost of vehicles), lower medical costs, etc?
Will there be days when it can't be used due to drifting snow, ice, whatever? Sure. Does that mean it's worthless? If so, time to melt down your lawnmower, and forge it into a snowplow. IOW, the argument strikes me as disingenous. Nothing is a "universal replacement for everything".
This device is a "force multiplier". It lets one person do more than he could do without it. A mailman will be able to cover a route much larger than he covers on foot, and he'll be able to cover it in less time, with less wear and tear on his body. (Mail delivery folks tend to have unhappy joints, but happy orthopedists.)
As a force multiplier, I believe it'll do real nicely.
Your suggested "improvements" would result in less safety.
They'd be like training wheels on a motorcycle. You'd fall over the first time you tried to corner at more than 5 mph on such a motorbike.
This device relies on the forces that scare you. If you take measures to counter them, you'll be crippling it.
He's already patented it, I've seen the filings. It uses two "wheels", one on each side. Each "wheel" is a triangular affair, with a wheel on each corner. It rides along normally with one wheel (on each side) on the ground, and climbs stairs by rotating the entire "wheel" assembly. I think there are some ATV designs that use a similar concept, but with a four rather than two wheel design.
I hear rumors that after that, they're coming out with a product for people too damn lazy to hit their Caps Lock key.
And I'm not taking it personally, so much as challenging all the "brilliant engineers" on this forum who seem to think they know the product better than Dean Kamen because they saw it on TV. As if he forgot to work out the practical details. I have questions about how it works in certain situations myself, but that's not the product's fault. We don't know enough about it. I've read that it handles curbs just fine for instance but don't know for a fact. At least I'm not so arrogant as to think my not having tested one means the product won't perform well or the design isn't optimized.
Don't forget how people crash on anything they ride at some point. So does it have to be 100% idiot proof just to please Free Republic cynics. Nope.
I sense massive amounts of jealousy from people who's mind can't grasp why this "easy to design" product is a breakthrough. They can't imagine how the thing will work in certain cases. That's OK because it is something completly different that humans have never seen before. But don't blame the messenger, and try doing something creative yourself instead of whining. Maybe one day you'll be as admired and respected for your brilliance as Dean Kamen is and you can steal all his market share.
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Is this "IT?" A two-wheeled, battery powered transportation device, known as the Segway Human Transporter, is displayed at a studio in New York on Dec. 3. (Peter Morgan/Reuters)