[governsleastgovernsbest]

My two cents says it will be more of a toy than a useful item, because the rider is fully exposed to the elements and would be very vulnerable in traffic. It might be self-stabilizing, but that wouldn't prevent it from getting knocked down by a car, with disastrous results for the rider.

[nimc]

"IT"'s a huge leap in technology that has far reaching implications for other applications. Mmmmmm…like a wearable, stand-up mobility suit for paraplegic perhaps?

[Eccl 10:2]

I think it's Al Gore's best invention to date...

[opbuzz]

He has just invented the worlds newest weapons system, a remote controlled robot that could haul about 1200 40mm grenades, turns on a dime and moves at jogging speed.

A 40mm grenade launcher can throw a lot of bang.

[Jethro Tull]

Put me down for two "IT's."

Any attempt to get Americans away from the jack boot of OPEC is a good thing.

IT may be just the first step in more independent America, but it's a big first step....

[Doctor Freeze]

Good idea, but it's pretty heavy. The problem is the transition from car to the "IT." Are you going to tote it around in your car trunk? How do you get the thing out when you're ready to use it?

I agree... a future Sharper Image product for consumers, but I can see some industrial uses (large factories) and government uses (patrolling).

[chilepepper]

I am amazed at the natering negativity to Kamen's fine invention

The number of "special cases" which will make this a success
boggle the mind.Try walking around Disneyworld with a bad hip sometime.

Now imagine being able to rent one of these at the entrance to the park...

I also think this won't REALLY take off until the Chinese
start manufacturing it (sorry: imagine what the PC would cost if it were union
made in the US)

[Riflema]

Well... this could be the biggest thing since... the Sinclair C-5

[texgal]

I don't get "IT". As a mom, I'm hauling kids & their stuff, dry-cleaning, groceries and all the other things that moms are requried to haul around. I live on the gulf coast where it rains a lot and I live in Texas where one destination is a long distance from the next.

I'm supposed to get excited about a mode of transportation that will not protect me & mine from the weather, take longer to get me there and allows me little or no space for the persons and things I must take with me? I don't think so. This thing's a toy! I'm thankful for my 6,000 lb UAV( Urban Assaut Vehicle - Big ol' 4 Runner w/"cow catcher" guard on the front) when I hit the freeways in Houston.

[mitchbert]

The potential ways this technology can develop are exciting. From use in large industrial complexes to recreation and urban transport and more. I live fairly central in a large city and I would definately prefer this device to a car for downtown-hopping, at least in decent weather. But where this may truly make its mark is large highly congested Asian cities. Once true mass production is reached you're looking at a form of transport much less expensive than a car and perfectly suitable for that environment. This looks to me to be a winner.

[Walkin Man]

I think IT is a rich mans toy. I'm sure Bill Gates and Steve Jobs will buy one to tool about the mansion but your average American, I don't think so. I'm impressed by the technology it may have other uses but this scooter is impractical. Nobody is going to give up air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter, and protection from rain and wind for a 3000 scooter! Lets get real. The bicycle beats IT in every aspect. A bike needs no power of any kind, you provide the balance and it is actually good for you unlike the Segway and at least you get to sit down on it. Of course they rearranged American cities just to accommodate the bicycle , HAHAHA. Just what America needs, another invention to make us give up what little exercise most fat-a$$ Americans get.

[Bubba_Leroy]

It has been about 40 degrees and constantly raining where I live for 2 days now. Yeah, I'm going to trade my nice warm car in on a $3000 scooter. When monkeys fly out of my butt.

It is a very high priced toy. Someday, if they manufacture enough to get the price down low, it will become a low priced toy.

[KSCITYBOY]

Good for the infirmed other than that a toy for people who don't want to use muscles. Sun City AZ will benefit the most. Watch the lawsuits roll in as people run into each other.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Just like that last "rich man's toy", the personal computer, the application and usefulness of the Segway is unrealized as of now. Within 5 years, less than 5% of the population will have one (or a Segway 3.0), within 10 years 25% of the population will have whatever have evolved from this design, within 20 years, kids won't understand a world without individual transport like this. To them, skateboards and bikes will be sports equipment, not a way to run to the local grocery store for Mom. That will be done on an evolved model of what was presented today.

[No!]

Well I've been expecting another "Edison" for some time...

You may think this a toy (so was the TELEPHONE, by the way)

I see genius here....

And there is no telling what this incredibly gifted man will "Think of next"...

This man is John Gault?

[auggy]

I think it will revolutionize the transportation system. IT could be built to enclose your body from the elements. This is just the beginning. Watch what happens.

[Budge]

I think IT would be a great addition to the RV. I'd love to have one!

[GreenLanternCorps]

IT is a nice enough item, but with all the hype I was expecting something on the order of a Faster Than Light Drive. This will not revolutionize the way most people live. Talk about your disapointments...

[cake_crumb]

I see great possibilites for theme parks and shopping malls. Plus, the technology can be adapted for space exploration, eventually.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I think "It" should be the mandatory form of transportation for drunk drivers. Other than that, I don't think much of "It."

[chimera]

Looks like more of a niche application in its present incarnation. No protection from the elements, limited speed (don't take it out on the road), and no cargo-carrying capacity. Maybe messengers can use it in a large city, or point-to-point delivery applications (assembly line parts delivery, for example). It could be used by people who park far away from their offices to get to their desks, then store the thing inside. Commuter campuses, for example, could make use of such a personal people mover. Basically anyone who could use a bicycle but doesn't want to pedal.