8 replies to this topic

[hooplady]

Oh goody, GM and Segway have decided that what the world needs is another way for already able-bodied people to get around without expending any energy. Meanwhile the iBot and its brethren are already dead from apathy. I'm AB and I'm ticked about this...how do the rest of you feel?

http://news.yahoo.co...l_motors_segway

-Janet

[nomis]

Yeah, Janet, I thought much the same when I saw this. It's a shame we belong to a basically noncommercial minoriety. The thing with the original Segway was you had to stand and use your weight through your feet. Here, with input from GM, they've developed the product so you can control it while sitting. Why couldn't they have developed that earlier for the disability community - or more correctly, for me. Now they've by-passed us for something more elaborate which you won't be welcome to drive into someone's home but is going to be fun, anyway....if there is any money left in the world to buy one.

[Slowlegs]

I reckon it looks great and perhaps with the development being paid for by the "filthy consumer pigs", a smaller version for wheelchair users hopefully won't be that far behind it. As for the Puma you were referring to, top speed is 55km/h. Do you really want black skid marks all over your nice beige carpet? I have ridden on a Segway, they are awesome. It was the closest thing to running I have done in a long time and was great fun.

Edited by Slowlegs, 08 April 2009 - 10:21 AM.

[nomis]

Slowlegs, on Apr 8 2009, 10:20 PM, said:

Do you really want black skid marks all over your nice beige carpet?

Yep.

[Slowlegs]

nomis, on Apr 8 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

Slowlegs, on Apr 8 2009, 10:20 PM, said:

Do you really want black skid marks all over your nice beige carpet?

Yep.

Well I suppose black ones are better than brown ones.

[HiltonP]

nomis, on Apr 8 2009, 11:02 AM, said:

Here, with input from GM, they've developed the product so you can control it while sitting. Why couldn't they have developed that earlier for the disability community - or more correctly, for me.

They have . . . Timm, on WheelChairJunkie, is working on a sitting Segway . . . essentially a stool seat perched on top of the motors/base, with a short control stick coming up between your legs (it looks just like a bar-stool with wheels, refer pic).

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[nomis]

Nice

[hooplady]

...and I hope that independent tinkerers/inventors/venture capitalists continue with this type of development. I just think that the PUMA will not do much more than put pedestrians and cyclists in vehicles which is completely opposite of the way we should be heading. Meanwhile, those of you who would LOVE to have the choice of whether to walk or to ride will now have the additional fear of being mowed down by PUMA drivers gabbing on cell phones.

Sorry, call me a cynic. When I read about this I immediately thought of the animated film Wall-E where people have been floating around in personal hovercraft for so long that their bones can't even bear weight anymore.

[Slowlegs]

hooplady, on Apr 9 2009, 05:11 PM, said:

...and I hope that independent tinkerers/inventors/venture capitalists continue with this type of development. I just think that the PUMA will not do much more than put pedestrians and cyclists in vehicles which is completely opposite of the way we should be heading. Meanwhile, those of you who would LOVE to have the choice of whether to walk or to ride will now have the additional fear of being mowed down by PUMA drivers gabbing on cell phones.

Sorry, call me a cynic. When I read about this I immediately thought of the animated film Wall-E where people have been floating around in personal hovercraft for so long that their bones can't even bear weight anymore.

Yes, quite the cynic (you told me to call you that though!) Well they have announced in the press release they will be self driven with collision avoidance software, hence avoiding the need for airbags so you could quite possibly sleep while using one, let alone use a cellphone. I would imagine they would probably be used in areas where cars were banned and perhaps as self driven taxi vehicles in such areas in the future, paid for by your cellphone or some sort of debit card which would be ideal for large density housing areas which didn't allow private cars.

On the "filthy consumer pig" issue. Thing is, if they hadn't opened them up to the mass market the research and development which went into them would probably have cost the same, if not more. Secondly, if they chose to limit the first version to the wheelchair market the initial cost would probably have been $100000 per unit because of the number of sales to development cost ratio. I think with these things it is better to do things the way they have done it as it reduces the cost for all. If everyone used a wheelchair you'd probably get a good one for under $300. It's just how mass markets work.

Edited by Slowlegs, 09 April 2009 - 10:10 PM.