The Segway, aka "Ginger", aka "IT"

DiscoWeb Message Board: General - Non Tech: The Segway, aka "Ginger", aka "IT"
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Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 03:07 pm: Edit

So..........

Opinions?


Looks fun, but I don't think it'll be worth a darn to me other than as a toy... It's ~45 miles one way from home to the office, and all of the walking I do is outdoors... I rarely see a real sidewalk. Guess NYC or some such, it'd be a whole different ballgame, but for me, well...


Now, to be a lazy-ass, if they can make one that could do the Appalachain Trail....

:)


-L

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Mike Rupp (Mike_Rupp) on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 05:26 pm: Edit

I was expecting something different. They said that everyone would want to buy IT. I think that some people in the large cities that walk to work would want one, but why would anyone else?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By PerroneFord on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 10:37 pm: Edit

Looks like it could be just the ticket for people delivering mail, or folks who have to walk a lot at work (factory floors, etc), but I don't think it would be much good for the average person who has to commute.

It goes 12mph... Even with my very short commute to work now (9mi each way with light traffic), it would take the better part of an hour. Did they say how long it lasts on a charge?

-P

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 11:08 pm: Edit

I heard that the max speed was 17mph. For each hour on the charger, it can run for two hours. A full battery charge is supposed to last all day.


It CAN'T be meant for a commuter-type vehicle... unless you live within an urban center, i.e., w/in a mile or so of your office....

Perrone, sounds like you're just quoting what you could have read out there about it... the USPS is going to be testing a bunch on mail routes; so is the National Park Service, and several police stations (parking meter routes, etc.); and some places like the warehouses for Amazon.

Some of my questions are: If you're running from shop to shop, how do you handle carrying your purchases? What about heading home from the grocery store with two weeks of food? What if you're scooting down the sidewalk and your battery dies on you... how are you going to get charged to continue along your way? How well does it run through puddles? In the rain? What if you have to climb LOTS of stairs? How much maintainence does it require? How easy is it to fix? Or do you have to send it off for repair?


LOTS of questions......

-L

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By StoneRover on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 11:33 pm: Edit

Regarding the cargo question, I saw an AP video from YAHOO! that showed a mail carrier using IT. IT had saddlebags (looked large) above the wheels and a front basket (a la bike). City of Atlanta is supposed to be getting some of these puppies, I cant wait to go up and peep them.

Frank B

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By SOLO on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 08:02 am: Edit

I wonder how these things will handle snow and ice and will the stuff that spread on the roads effect the electronics.

Larry

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Rob Davison (Pokerob) on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 10:19 am: Edit

i think it is a terrible idea, it is targeting everyday people. trying to crunch more into there day at the expense of exersise. that's going to roll back into higher medical cost because even more people will be out of shape.

rd

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By PerroneFord on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 10:20 am: Edit

Leslie,

I watched that unveiling on Good Morning America or whatever. Yahoo had the little video clip. As for its uses, I was just trying to think of people that would be helped by having more mobility without having to carry much.

College campuses seem a reasonable thing until you have to take parking the thing into account. I wouldn't want to put a $3k bike replacement outside on the bike rack. So postmen and foot-traffic police spring to mind. Shop floors are another likely use as you likely aren't carrying a lot, but may have to walk up to a mile at a time (my dad was in this kind of work for awhile with GM). But those questions of how it handles weather and such seem very valid.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By joeblanchard on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 11:23 am: Edit

You know.. I just don't get all the hype? I can see where it has it's advantages in a city that is built for them. But on the sidewalks of NY or Chicago, not a chance. Maybe in the bike lanes. Could you see one of these things zipping in and out of the traffic like the bike couriers do? I would have to agree with Rob on the health issue. I seem to remember a clip from yesterday showing "IT" going over a course set up with different obstacles. (rocks,sand,) Can't remember if there was any water? It actually looked pretty stable. Of course the model they are showing to us is the industrial model. Priced at $8k. The consumer model avail. in a year will be in the $3k range. They will have some type of key that will make it diff. to steal. and will contain parameters for the max speed, ect. I just don't see them designing cities around the concept of this "high tech scooter". Don't get me wrong.. it is an amazing invention, I just don't see "IT" changing our society in it's current state. Personally, i'd rather have a new(or used) dirt bike or atv for that price.

Joe

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bill Leek on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 11:52 am: Edit

The current usefulness of such a "vehicle" seems limited to me. However, think of the future extension of this technology. How about a Land Rover with a gyroscopic guidance system? Where could you go with that????

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Buckwheat on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 02:52 pm: Edit

BFD. I had a scooter when I was a kid. Kid being the operative word there.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Brian on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 11:46 am: Edit

This SHT is soo funny!

http://www.satirewire.com/news/0112/sht2.shtml

http://www.satirewire.com/news/0112/bin_laden_segway.shtml

Enjoy
Brian

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By DM on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 11:58 am: Edit

I agree on the front that on busy sidewalks, like Boston, Chicago and NYC, it's a plain hazard. Bike meengers will never get them because they are not as fast nor quick as a bike, plus the price difference is huge. 10K for a scooter or $500 for a messenger bike.

I saw a clip on a show of one of the IT's being used on snow. It actaully was on a frozen lake in NH, and looked VERY stable. I was impressed. Something to do with the wheel control, sensing and gyro's working really well on mixed surface.

I think if you live in the burbs of a city, it could work. Think about your morning commute. I know it takes me (at high time) 30-45 minutes to go a distance of 10 miles. All stop and go, in the rover. I would much rather abuse a smaller, cheaper alternative than abuse my rover like that in stop and go traffic. But the price is way too high for it be practical. At least to me. I think it is practical, as someone said, for mail carriers, delivery people (pizza guy or other), and for shop floors or the like. Maybe if it were to used in streets where vehicle traffic is not allowed. But beyond that, it is limited. Kinda like the "SMART" cars of Europe....

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By PerroneFord on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 12:17 pm: Edit

DM,

Thats a good point. I know that on many college campuses, cars are being "kicked off". So maybe this could be an alternative way to get around college campuses and such, instead of a bike, or forking out $20k for junior to have a car!

I'm not sold on the suburban commute though. Even though I live in Florida, I'm not sure I want to be on one of those things in the rain, snow, strong wind, etc. It's kinda like a motorcycle without the speed.

-P

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 01:00 pm: Edit

gear the bastard so it can go 45mph all day, every day and slap a suspension system and some knobbies on it and I'm interested.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Erik Olson (Jon) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 05:37 pm: Edit

I'm sorry but I think that thing is the ***t. The more you watch the video footage the more impressive the stability gets. Please, this is so not a "scooter". Some footage showed it pulling a small trailer in a warehousing environment. I live in San Francisco and can't imagine them in a busy city, but for old folks in a mall (think obnoxiously large wheelchairs / Larks) and mail-carriers, etc. this is the real deal. I for one can't wait to try it out.

-Erik

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Daniel on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 06:00 pm: Edit

Yep, not a scooter, the wheels are side by side. On a scooter they are one in front of the other.
Does look like fun though.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of pageLink to this message   By Rob Davison (Pokerob) on Thursday, December 06, 2001 - 06:29 pm: Edit

still a scooter in my book.. i dont see what the big goddamn deal is either. i designed that thing when i was ten years old, except i used a dolly :)

dolly

rd


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