We always knew there was something wrong with those
Segways. By requiring prolonged standing and mild leaning motions they flew in the face of everything our sedentary lifestyle stands for, and it's good to see some clever inventors take notice and restore us to our passivity. The SegSeat is actually intended for handicapped users who can't quite manage all the standing, yet don't want to be regaled to the world of scooters or wheelchairs. It's a fairly easy installation to add a SegSeat to an existing Segway, and you can collapse the seat when it's not in use. To emulate the leaning motion of a standing rider, the seat slides forward and back, so we're not sure this is 100% sedentary approved, but at least it's a good start. You can get one starting now for $749.
[Via
TRFJ]
posted Jun 14th 2006 2:03PM
So when are the Segways themselves going to lose the insane pricetag?
Actually, the Seg-Seat is a great addition for those folks who really need the Segway as a mobility aid. But I assume that this post will be flooded with uninformed comments from people who have never actually had any experience with Segways, or those who pretend to have.
c'est la vie.
Yeah.... but if a person needs the seg seat to aid in the mobility... how the hell do they plan on getting on the thing? I doubt someone who is somewhat disabled is going to be able to mount that thing... at least thats what im gettign from the photo.
^^^Fatty Itsi Atkins strikes again^^^
Who cares about the Segway fad, its nothing special.
OK, Post #1... stop being so harsh, a Segway is nothing more than a scooter... nothing special... and $749 for a SEAT? Come on, although I suppose if your handicap and already laid down a couple grand on a scooter your not quite there enough to understand the concept of being ripped off. Get a Rascal... you wont look AS crazy riding around on that....
"The SegSeat is actually intended for handicapped users who can't quite manage all the standing, yet don't want to be regaled to the world of scooters or wheelchairs."
Do you mean "relegated"?
It's "relegated" not "regaled." And I think the first poster did not read anything other than the title and the first two sentences before commenting as after that you did go directly to who can and should use the product, namely the handicapped.
Where's the cupholder?
Sorry about that, navamske just beat me to it.
You think thats innovative, check this out...
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=segway_more_complicated_than_it_needs_to_be
Its a stupid expensive wheelchair. Get over it people. Buy a damn bike lazy people. And we wonder why America is full of fat bastards!!!
America is full of fat bastards because we eat too much, etc. Segway's don't make people fat, nor ever will. Infact, I'd go to say cars make people much more fat than Segways ever will.
"SegSeat adds an extra layer of laziness to the Segway"
This uniformed wisecrack is a cheap shot to Segwayers. Cars also have seats. Is everyone who commutes by car "lazy"? Come on, let's be real.
Segways are used in most cases to travel relatively short distances. In some cases, gliders use their Segway to commute several miles. The Segseat is a real aid to those travelling for an hour or so.
I commute about 1½ miles to work every day by Segway, and it's great.
Five days a week in my traffic-congested city there is now one less car looking for parking, one less car buying/burning gas, and one less car in front of you.
It costs me 20 cents a week in electricity.
Segways may not be for everybody, and you can't use them to go food shopping and such, but if only 10% of the population used one for those short trips, traffic, smog, parking, and gas buying issues would virtually be gone with all those extra cars off the road. It's a great transportation alternative when you're only going downtown to the movies, or commuting to work.
It's also faster. Instead of spending a half hour in traffic and garage parking, I get to work refreshed in about 8 minutes. Parking is free. Don't knock one until you've tried one. :)
Do you really travel 1.5 miles to work for 20 cents a week?
Man, I wish I lived closer to work.
I live in Chile and we've got quite a pollution problem here in Santiago and it would be great to see more of these solutions around.
Man, I just went to the website and looked at the gadets you can order and thought to myself, when when will spinner hubcaps be offered?
"Segway's don't make people fat, nor ever will."
Spoken like someone who has never seen the Segway "Walking" Tour of Washington, D.C. pass by them on the street. The National Mall isn't -that- big, people - WALK.
Over $700 for a lousy CHAIR? Come on!
Jonathon - thanks for the link - a third wheel : doh!
I've got to agree with LittleJoe. I took the Segway "class" at Epcot and it was hard to step on or off one without causing it to scoot back and forth a little bit. I think that trying to sit down while keeping your center of gravity steady would be very difficult. It would be even harder for someone who has mobility problems to start with, you couldn't just plop down on the seat.
Check out their video. It was compressed with ann elevation copy of sorenson squeeze, the watermark still shows. You would think that a company selling a stupid seat for over $700 would buy a copy of the compression software!!
Are you kidding me that the National Mall isn't that big? I took a group of 50 5th & 6th graders to D.C. After walking from the washington monument to the capital building, we all about died. Mind you this was in the heat of mid July. Either way, it's QUITE a trek.
Yeah, and having done a couple Segway tours myself, let me educate the uninformed: it's a great (and fun!) way to cover a lot of ground and see a lot of things if you have a limited time budget.
As for the third wheel: without a balance system you will fall over the first decent bump you hit. Segways are pretty impressive at dealing with obstacles in the road and keeping you upright. They aren't impervious mind you, and they aren't as easy to learn as the hype, but a capable segway rider can catch air, jump off sidewalk curbs, and roll right through off road terrain. I don't think that would be possible with a third wheel and no balance system, especially with the center of gravity being so much higher.
I just don't understand why people hate on the segways so much. I guess they prefer cars and motorcycles and other pollution generators.
Americans aren't fat only because of what we eat - it's our lifestyle. With the exception of a few major cities, the vast majority of us will DRIVE down the street, or across a parking lots. It's pathetic.
SEGWAY = SURFING
It's interesting that by adding a seat to the Segway it then makes it just like all motorcycles and Vespa's. I think it's funny that, in fact, this clarifies that it is actually MORE work to ride standing on a Segway than a motorcycle or Vespa or Car for that matter. Hence next to the other forms of transportation the Segway is a frickin' work-out. It causes obesity just like surfing or skiing.
It's also alway very funny that hundreds of geeks who read Engagdet respond to the Segway topic of laziness like they are Lance Armstrong and ride a Tour bicycle 20 miles to work each day.
REALITY BITES: Visualize the thousands of "Comic Book Guy"s from the Simpsons in front of beige flat screens reading Engadget sitting on their fat ass all day long working at a computer before they waddle to their SUV to drive 4 miles home at the end of the day... Yeah these are your peers and they like to make fun of the Segway rider as "lazy" HA!
People hate Segways because they can't afford one. It's just like the Aesop's fable about the fox and the grapes, which ends in some aphorism I don't remember.
As for getting on one, most people who ride those scooters for medical reasons have basic mobility but limited exercise tolerance, for musculoskeletal, neurological, or cardiac reasons.
This device looks a lot more compact and capable than the average handicapped scooter. And as for being a glorified wheelchair, the inventor of the Segway already revolutionaized wheelchairs by inventing one that climbs up and down stairs and can raise or lower the seat. He invented the Segway after that using some of the same ideas. Some of you guys have to catch up.
I'm still waiting on Monster Garage to get a hold of one of these...
BTW, also still waiting on XTreme Segway competitions...
Since I'm covering alot of ground with this response, I'm going to ask that anywho'd like to quote or reply to my response to read ALL of this response before doing so. I'd also hope anyone choosing to respond would respect my choices and understand that their own preference might not match mine. So enough of the disclaimers (hoping to foster an atmosphere of tolerance)...
First some background...I've owned a Segway for almost a year and commute on it a short distance to work everyday. I've also found it enjoyable to ride my Segway for very long distances. At first, my trips were only up to 10 miles. This was the maximum range using the older battery technology. But with new battery technologies (and buying older battery cheaply as folk switched over) I extended these distances to 20 and 30 miles. Soon having travelled to all the nearby cities, I began to research what it would take to travel vast distances on the order of hundreds of miles!
Well after several months of planning, last month I completed a trip from Santa Cruz, CA to Thousand Oaks, CA (350+ miles) over the course of a week and a half solo and WITHOUT a chase car. If you'd like more details (and lots of funny stories) go to http://www.trailjournals.com/segway/ and feel free to sign my guestbook! My point is none of this would have been possible without bike maps showing nearby motels (for nightly recharging), the newer battery technology with double the range AND...you guessed it...a Segseat!
Come on...why else would I be responding here unless it somehow involved Segseats?
A Segseat allowed me to switch from standing to sitting so that I could ride my Segway all day. When my feet got sore from stand for 5 miles, I'd switch to sitting for a couple miles. By that point my bottom was getting a bit sore, and I'd go back to standing now that feet felt fine! By doing this, neither got too sore and every morning I'd be all set to do another full day of riding! In fact, at the end of the trip, I felt so good I added an extra 50 mile leg to the trip despite having just finished 50 and 70 mile legs the two previous days.
I'm sure other folks will draw attention to deficiencies in the Segseat when used in particular situations. However, I can say with confidence that Segseats are perfect for long distance rides (as long as you find the unicycle seat comfortable enough). When I'm using it in these circumstances, I do minimal turning and the Segway is completely controllable. The best part is how the Segseat was designed to be raised and lowered (so it sits flush with the handle bar pole) without ever stopping.
For those of you who wondered how a disabled person might get on a Segway with a Segseat, I can SPECULATE they'd step up on the platform, level it so the Segway stand still and then raise the seat between their legs (though some people might need help with this). Upon sitting down, they must be able to pull themselves towards (or push themselves way from the handle bars) by sliding the seat forward and backward along the rail with authority to change their overall center of gravity and change the lean of the Segway. I'll readily point out I'm not disabled so I could be misinforming you regarding this matter. For some people, these actions might be impossible.
If anyone has more specific questions (or just would like to find some material for personal attacks in their reply), I encourage you to go to http://www.trailjournals.com/segway/ and dig through it. You might even find it entertaining! There's a FAQ in the last entry, and you can always put your questions in the guest book (and I'll be happy to answer them a few days later in the same place).
ps - I do not have any affiliation with the Segseat manufacturer or company. I'm just a satisfied customer who marvels at the engineering and careful thought that went into bringing us this aftermarket accessory. By the way, Segway INC will never sell these because the rights to marketing Segways to disabled people (with FDA approval, etc) went with another one of their products called the iBot to Johnson and Johnson.
I can get a Herman Miller Aeron chair for $100 more. Segway chair FTL.
Segways aren't for exercise, the intent if any, is to reduce car usage.
My feeling the majority of people that do use Segways (can't be too many) are not doing so to save the effort, but to save time. You can cover 3 or four times the distance in the same time.
So does a bike. But a bike gets stolen. I think the intent was for people to bring the segway in and park it next to their desk at work.
On the other hand, if each museum in the Mall had its own parking garage, sadly, there would be people that would drive from one to the other, instead of walking, which would take as little time, when you count the time to find a parking spot.
I have a segway, and everytime someone asks me "why don't you just walk?" I ask them if they drove to where we are both standing. They say 'yes' every single time. Quite amusing. As for the seat, well..... here is a video of me on my Segway
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7177469168856361279
And people wonder why there is an obesity and diabetes epidemic.
I agree, this would be great for people with mobility problems, but that's what HoverRounds are for...and people that need them can get them for free at the scooter store. The only people that will use these are lazy people. hey need to play a joke on those fat lazy bastards that buy these... make them only cabable of holding 165lbs... Then those fatties would have to lose weight for the privelege of being so dang lazy.
I still need a car once in a while but my Segway transporter seems to be the ultimate neighborhood transport.
Most of my Segway trips, I am going out on errands, getting a haircut, going to the bank, grabbing a bite to eat, stopping by a store or visiting with neighbors.
I also find most of these destinations too far to walk comfortably.
I used to have to take a car, find parking, fight traffic, not to mention the costs, insurance, mainenence etc..
With practically zero maintenence, ease of use, and only pennies a day to recharge it really is the best tool for those short trips.
Even when I don't need to run my errands, I often go for a ride because it's so much fun to ride.
Use a Segway instead of a car and you will be doing us all a favor.
Here we go AGAIN!!! Have any of you anti-segites ever been in an ELEVATOR???? That's right, an elevator serves much the same function as a Segway, except on a vertical plane rather than horizontal. An elevator is a human transporter. If you ever use an elevator, you must be LAZY, because there is a perfectly good set of stairs nearby. Maybe you hypocritical anti-segites should excercise your lazy fat asses and take the stairs the next time you have to ascend a 20 story building!! Or, maybe you should use a HAND SAW the next time you decide to do some carpentry work. If you use ANY time saving tool, you must be LAZY, and contributing to our overweight society.
As for the disabled...show some respect and compassion. Perhaps they don't want to be sitting in an inefficient wheel chair down on the ground, staring continuously at YOUR FAT ASS. Perhaps some ARE able to utilize the segseat, and enjoy the option of standing and sitting while using THEIR choice of a mobility aid, the Segway. Time for the engadget crowd to open their eyes, and their minds. Lets stamp out this ugly anti-segitism.
(I'll just throw in my $0.02...)
Well it's nice to know so many people are happy with their Segways. But with the obvious exception of 'Steve' it still sounds like most Segway commuters are traveling under 5 miles.
That's not in any way a ridicule, as it still means in the 0 - 5 mile strech there is one less car per Segway, but I don't see what HUGE advantage it has over walking or biking.
That's just my opinion, and to each their own. I don't think I'd ever own one, but I too don't really understand why it gets knocked as much as it does.
That said, a couple things caught my eye and I'd like to respond (not really counter, just respond...)
"..a bike gets stolen..." - Yes they do, frequently in fact. But at $5K per Segway, I could afford to buy 25 $200 bikes of servicable(sp?) quality for the same money. True, in some parts of the US you very well might get 2 bikes or more stolen per month, so you might go with 20 bikes and a thousands bucks worth of anti-theft devices...
"It costs me 20 cents a week in electricity." - This is an interesting/amusing point. I recently moved abroad and am now attending a language school. After the first month I took an evening and scrutinized all the little receipts and such I'd collected so I could confirm and finalize by budget plan (I'm not working and I'll be living off savings for a year). Among other things, I realized that by walking everwhere I was actually expending a lot more energy than I had back in my 3 car owning days in the states...which in turn caused me to EAT more. I ended up calculating out that by puchasing a $100 bike and using that for most of my local travel over the next 11 months I would easily save more than $9 a month in extra snack food, thus making the bike pay for itself (not to mention I could go farther and get to most places faster). I would have to wonder if in THIS regard the Segway ISN'T actually better than cycling or walking. It way cost $0.80 per month to fuel the segway, but how much would it cost to fuel YOU over the same time/distance period ?
"I guess they prefer cars and motorcycles and other pollution generators." - Cars and motorcycles are definitely fun in my opinion, but I don't know too many people that LIKE them for their pollution generating aspects. I'm from the SF Bay area, and out in Cali, it's ILLEGAL to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. But everytime you ride in the street with traffic, you take your life in your hands cause you get ZERO respect from motorists. With a motorcyle (you still get almost no respect but) you have the power to keep up with the flow of traffic, with a car you have the power and a steel cage around you. The reason I and many others DON'T use a bicycle more often is because it's just too dangerous. I cycle recreationally, but only on back roads that are nearly deserted because they don't go anywhere people really want to go (like to my place of work...). So yeah, the segway has an advantage there I suppose, but it's legislative more than anything else. Here in Japan the bike lane is on the sidewalk (which is usually pretty wide), and I almost never miss my cars at all. I've borrowed a 50cc scooter now, and I use that occasionally if I don't want to be drenched in sweat by the time I get someplace (it's getting hot over here now), but by and large a bike is just fine for anything less than inter-city travel, and for that I just take trains...
"Segway's don't make people fat, nor ever will. Infact, I'd go to say cars make people much more fat than Segways ever will."
I agree with the former, slightly disagree with the latter. Because unless you drive one of them wizz-bang bio-diesel cars and have been taking a little nip from the gas tank every now and again, I don't see how a car actually makes one fatter...
"Americans aren't fat only because of what we eat - it's our lifestyle."
This I think is pretty spot on (if slightly redundant...it could be argued diet is a part of lifestyle). Aside from specific medical issues/problems, most Americans un-intentionaly become obese through completely VOLUNTARY actions. ie Eating too much or simply unhealthful food and/or not getting enough excercise. Cars simply help KEEP people fat. They help preclude people from getting some incidental excercise that probably would help (though perhaps not solve) Americas obesity problem. And in THAT capacity I don't know that the Segway is anything of a significant step up from driving a car.
But no, the Segway is not to blame for anyone's obesity, nor is the car. Both are tools...let's show some integrity and take responsibility for how we use/abuse them people...
I should cut this off about here. All in all, I don't think the Segway is a bad thing. Slightly frivolous as anything it can do can be done just as well or better for less, but hey, if it's getting a few cars off the road what's the harm ? Me ? I'm 25, and in reasonably good health so I'll stick with my cheap bike and pocket the other $4900 for now.
Leastwise until this -> http://www.envbike.com
hits the market.
As for the seat thing in this article...I'm sorry but given the price that is RAPE (the non-sexual kind mind you). For $750 plus I could buy a used Kawasaki Ninja 500EX to sit on instead...
I'm holding out for the SegBed. That way I can get extra nap time in during the morning and afternoon rush hour commutes.
The segway's are cute, and a kind of neat idea, but I think for the price tag I'd rather get a 150cc vespa type scooter, which I can take on the highway in a pinch.
I saw this guy at Usenix '06, pretty interesting talk about robotics and the like. he took the segway one step further, after building a couple of his own. take a look:
http://www.tlb.org/eunicycle.html
Oddmanout mentioned *correctly* (above)
"But with the obvious exception of 'Steve' it still sounds like most Segway commuters are traveling under 5 miles. That's not in any way a ridicule, as it still means in the 0 - 5 mile strech there is one less car per Segway, but I don't see what HUGE advantage it has over walking or biking."
Thus you may be surprised to learn:
American drivers take approximately 900 million car trips per day. The EPA estimates that half of all those trips are less than five miles (8 km) long and transport only one passenger -trips perfectly suited to Segway HT.
Given these folks don't choose bicycles...
If just 10% of those trips in cars were replaced with the HT, that would save 6.2 million gallons (23.56 million liters) consumed per day and that would translate into a huge reduction in vehicle emissions: 405 tons of hydrocarbons, 61,830 tons of CO2, 3,105 tons of CO, and 6.2 million gallons of uncombusted gasoline.
What's more, this is a conservative estimate which gets much larger based on the fact that each 1% reduction in urban miles driven results in a 2% to 4% reduction in vehicle emissions, due to the inefficient nature of urban driving.
What no lazy polo ?
w00ps ! dont let wozniak hear of this, we may be facing a new national sport ...
Just to help those that dont understand "quads & Paras"
www.DRAFT.cc
www.MURDERBALL.com
These are para and quadrapalegics, so yes they can get on a seg way and stand.
I know because I'm one of them.
Why is it some want the disabled only at a level below them ?
Carlos Pineiro shamelessly reveals:
I commute about 1½ miles to work every day by Segway, and it's great.
If you are too lazy to bike (much less walk) 1.5 miles, please just cut off your legs and be done with it.
Cullen writes:
"for that sort of money, i could buy a bike. and race it. and go 40mph. please. dont give me this 'i commute to work' crap, people have been doing it for ages on a bike. it IS lazy. there are buses and subways and even your own legs available, this is simply a status symbol, nothing more."
Cullen, it's presumptuous of you to assume that any pricy object is a status symbol. If Segways are status symbol at $5 grand, then what's a $30,000 Ford?
Guess what, Cullen, bikes don't work for everybody, bud. I have several bikes I use for recreation on my days off, but I have to commute to work in the hot sun up hills -in a suit-. My choices are a car or motorcycle in city traffic, or the Seg, which is much faster and about 2 cents a day. The bus choice you mentioned would take me at least a half hour and cost $3 a day.
People aren't lazy because they choose not to go wait for the bus when there's a cheaper, faster alternative. Do you ever drive a car? By your logic, that makes YOU lazy every time you drive instead of walking.
Before you post on a blog about Segways you should research the subject first. Otherwise you wind up sounding like a know-it-all who actually doesn't.
Carlos
I commute to/fm work in downtown New Orleans on a Segway that I got in D.C. I'm renovating an 1850's home in The Marigny area of town, 2 blks behind the French Quarter, and have to leave work during the day when I am needed for decisions, etc. at the jobsite. One way trip is approx 2 miles and I usually make a min of 3 trips per day...am,lunch,pm...no in/out parking is available and each time I would have to pay $8.00 to park, if a space is available.
Oh, did I mention I am a T-5 para who walks with a cane? Imagine using a cane, hoveround scooter, golfcart, etc to acomplish the same thing. I haven't purchased a seat yet, but that is on my wish list!
Oh yea, I do get people yelling that I am cheating or should be walking but, when they get closer and see my cane attached to the handlebar, they apologize for being so cruel. I'm sure once I get a seat, the crude remarks will increase. Such is life in the "Big Easy"!
Frankie
I think that a good pair of roller skates and some pads/helmet would be a more fum way to get around and better for your health.I am not a fan of Segway simply because it is marketed as a means for all people to get around but few can actually afford it.There has been a lot of fanfare in the media about Segways but they are way too cost-prohibitive for the average person,and the problems revealed about them-such as throwing riders off when the battery is low leaves too much to chance.If I am going to break my arm I would sooner do it skating than from a Segway that also depleted my bank account.
I am disabled and have no alternatives like skating, walking, biking, ...
To me a segway with seat is a necessary way of transporting and it makes me look less handicapped than all the wheelchairs and scooters in the world.
It make me look hip. People talk to me about the segway and not about my handicap and that makes me feel good and forget about what I'm missing by not having usable Legs. Why are some people against the fact I'm feeling happy with a segway ? Why always be negative to inventions ?
I may surprise some people, but it is possible that buyers of Segways may be disabled. I myself suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and find the Segway helpful. I hope to try the Segseat soon.
I have to laugh at all of you who continually bad mouth Segways. I would bet a large amount of money that 90% of you have never ridden one or done any research on them, let alone seen one.
I have a 16 mile commute each way to work. That’s 32 miles a day. I would like to see anyone do that on a bike, skates or anything, that doesn’t burn gasoline, and not need a shower or a half hour to calm down.
I don’t use any of your gas when I glide. I don’t contribute to your traffic on the freeway. I don’t take you parking spot. What is it that you hate about Segways so much? Is it a guy thing that if you don’t understand it you knock it, or is a jealousy thing because you can’t have one. As for the price, I know a number of people that spend the same, if not more, for a bicycle. How about a jet sky, sky boat or snowmobile. They cost much more and can’t even be used year round
If you and everyone that calls me lazy would think about it, you would thank me for staying out of your way as you drive your lazy self to wherever you’re going. I never use my car for any trip within 5 to 10 miles of my house unless I need to carry something big.
You probably don’t know that cars are bigger polluters until they are thoroughly warmed up which takes about 5 miles. If you run to the store you are a bigger polluter both ways because you car has cooled off when you are in the store.
So don’t call me lazy as you drive by in your car. I wouldn’t do 16 miles on a bike, skates or on foot. I would be lazy like you and drive my car.