The Segway

[Trekker4747]

When the secret product "It" was being discussed it was said it would be something that would revolutionize society, cause the redesign of cites and guide the designs of new ones. It was supposed to be *THE* invention everyone would have and would WANT to have.

Here we are, eight years later and well, they're still fancy things you see security officers tool around in on fancy high-class suburban shopping plazas.

So, how about it?

Was the Segway just a big bag of fail?

 

[USS Triumphant]

Was the Segway just a big bag of fail?

The Segway didn't catch on, in and of itself, but it was a proof of concept for an innovative balancing technology that has proven very useful in other applications - most especially in wheelchairs and human leg/lower body prosthetic devices.

 

[Mallory]

The police department here uses them for patrolling downtown, along the light rail tracks and in parks. I could use one to commute to work if I wanted to, but there's too many cars.

They are certainly innovative, but they sure didn't catch on in real life.

 

[Trekker4747]

Was the Segway just a big bag of fail?

The Segway didn't catch on, in and of itself, but it was a proof of concept for an innovative balancing technology that has proven very useful in other applications - most especially in wheelchairs and human leg/lower body prosthetic devices.

Ahhhh, yes. The unique balancing technology.

 

[Sakrysta]

Too expensive
No shelter from elements
No place to carry anything

They're neato, but more of a geek thing that something practically useful. A good friend of mine went to DragonCon one year, and his costume was his company's Segway and a "Geek." t-shirt. Very appropriate. But the Segway was a hassle every time he ran into a flight of stairs, which happens a LOT at DragonCon.

 

[RoJoHen]

The only place I have ever seen these was Washington DC. They have tour groups that take Segways around the monuments.

 

[Hermiod]

The only person I ever see using a Segway is Adam on Mythbusters.

 

[Yoda]

Was the Segway just a big bag of fail?

The Segway didn't catch on, in and of itself, but it was a proof of concept for an innovative balancing technology that has proven very useful in other applications - most especially in wheelchairs and human leg/lower body prosthetic devices.

Great, so it will revolutionize the entire world as soon as we're all gimps.

The Segway was pure FAIL. The guy who pulled the endless and shameless hype machine leading to ITs unveiling deserves a thorough beating.

 

[Sparky]

Bag of FAIL

Is it nifty as a device? Yep, i would love to try one. Is it a game changer? Hells No.

 

[RJDiogenes]

A good friend of mine went to DragonCon one year, and his costume was his company's Segway and a "Geek." t-shirt. Very appropriate. But the Segway was a hassle every time he ran into a flight of stairs, which happens a LOT at DragonCon.

It's only a problem going up, though.

 

[USS Triumphant]

A couple of years ago, I saw a teenage girl using one at Disneyworld. The first couple of hours that I was there, that would have seemed stupid, but after a day or so, it started to seem like a pretty darned good idea.

The third wheel thing works for the Segway itself, but doesn't change the fact that the balancing system from the Segway has other uses where a third wheel is impractical.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Ahhhh, yes. The unique balancing technology.

Hehe, that guy is a first class asshole, but this article made me laugh. So true.

 

[Danoz]

I think it's full of fail that the "solution" to any societal ail would be an expensive device that encourages a people suffering from a broad range of non-communicable diseases, obesity and increasingly sedentary lifestyles to completely avoid walking. It reminds me of the scenes in "Wall-E" where humanity has essentially become a society of jabba-the-huts. I'm glad this didn't catch on, it would have annoyed the crap out of me.

The Nintendo Wii was infinitely more "revolutionary" than the segway.

 

[B.J.]

^HA! I was thinking of Wall-E too!

 

[Trekker4747]

I will say, that the prosthetic device used on Segway-like techomolgy is neat and has a lot of promise to it, but it didn't need to Segway to have been invented for it to exsist. Gyroscopes and self-balancing machines is hardly revolutionary.

 

[dkehler]

Was the Segway just a big bag of fail?

The Segway didn't catch on, in and of itself, but it was a proof of concept for an innovative balancing technology that has proven very useful in other applications - most especially in wheelchairs and human leg/lower body prosthetic devices.

Great, so it will revolutionize the entire world as soon as we're all gimps.

The Segway was pure FAIL. The guy who pulled the endless and shameless hype machine leading to ITs unveiling deserves a thorough beating.

Was it really necessary to use an insulting term for people with disabilities to make your point?

 

[Geckothan]

They're pretty cool in theory, but in reality you just look like a stupid twat riding one.

 

[doubleohfive]

If it's good enough for Gob Bluth, it's good enough for me.

 

[backstept]

If it's good enough for Gob Bluth, it's good enough for me.

If it's good enough for Woz . . . yeah it's still too expensive for me

 

[TheSeeker]

To be fair the inventor of the Segway came up with the balancing technology for wheelchairs first and only later applied it to the Segway.

I got to try one at Christmas and it was a blast. If I had a spare five grand (and my wife let me) I would totally get one.