As
rumored, Segway is launching two new versions of their still-looks-nerdy-as-ever two wheel Human Transporter. The biggest update is the new "LeanSteer" system that does away the clunky grip-based control for turning, and now allows for leaning into turns in much the same way as leaning forward and back controls speed. Segway is also packing in a new wireless "InfoKey" controller (the
Bluetooth HT-V1A unit we recently saw get by the FCC) that operates as a monitor for battery level, seed and distance, and also acts as extra security for your Segway. When mounted on your Segway, the InfoKey acts as a normal "dashboard" display. Finally, along with extensive redesign of the entire unit, Segway has added those "Saphion" lithium-ion batteries -- first featured in the
XT and i180 -- which manage 24 miles on regular terrain with the i2, and go for 12 miles offroad with the x2, but both devices still "speed" along at the traditional 12.5 mph. You can nab the i2 now for $5,000, or wait around for the x2 which will be out in September. Segway will also be releasing other versions of their second-generation scooter, such as a new golf-centric model, with all six total version due by the end of the year.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Read - Segway i2
Read - Segway x2
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
G7 @ Aug 14th 2006 9:39AM
Sweet!!!!! Forget about changing the world. I just wanna get one of these. It looks awesome!!
Nephlet @ Aug 14th 2006 9:40AM
Wow. Soon we won't be needing our legs.
Jonathan Keim @ Aug 14th 2006 9:40AM
seed and distance? Is that watermellon seeds or cantalope......?
I think you meant speed
Nikolai @ Aug 14th 2006 9:47AM
I, for one, welcome our Human Transporter overlords.
stu (uk) @ Aug 14th 2006 9:54AM
Quote
Sweet!!!!! Forget about changing the world. I just wanna get one of these. It looks awesome!!
Quote
yeah but you look like an absolutely tw@t on ones of these.
(pardon my french :)
DemiGod @ Aug 14th 2006 9:58AM
Only Gob is allowed to ride one
Dave Zatz @ Aug 14th 2006 10:05AM
Wow, they cost more than my Yugo.
chris @ Aug 14th 2006 10:05AM
hrm these are one of those great ideas which never really took off... the only place ive ever seen these actually being used with purpose was in spain; where the police patrol the streets on them in order to save their energy for chasing the baddies!
absurdio @ May 3rd 2008 12:10AM
Chicago PD, sometimes, too.
Let me tell you, it's damn hard to make a segway look intimidating.
Jeremy @ Aug 14th 2006 10:08AM
I went to Rice University and several students had these to get around campus. I wish I were back in college just to have an excuse to buy one of these :-)
Big Ed @ Aug 14th 2006 10:12AM
Hey everybody! There's an even better mode of transportation out right now! It must be new or something, but I heard it was called WALKING! This "walking" thing can really change the world!
Ricky @ Aug 14th 2006 10:16AM
""seed and distance? Is that watermellon seeds or cantalope......?"'by Jonathan Keim
Proof reader is on vacation. :)
Segway "Press release" site is down. I am surprise they didn't anticipate the added traffic
OlivierB @ Aug 14th 2006 10:51AM
Unfortunately these things are neither road legal, nor sidewalk legal here in the UK so we can't really use them..
Also, being electric and al you need to plug them in, fine. However we don't have mains plugs sitting around on the street so you need to bring these things in your house for a charge which is where it all falls down. How am I supposed to carry this 200 pound thing up my stairs? Nevermind that it would get mud all over my carpet.
So in essence it's geeky, illegal to use, impractical and expensive... Looks like they have a winner on their hands.
Richard @ Aug 14th 2006 10:55AM
I remember all the hype when they first came out, how it was going to change the way we lived. Still waiting.
gabriel @ Jun 13th 2007 12:53PM
the surface by microsoft is going to change the world! and thats a fact.
Wanax @ Aug 14th 2006 10:56AM
Those who consistently and sarcastically tout the virtues of walking need to stop being so small minded. The Segway has the potential to be a good commuting solution for many people. Example: I live about 6 miles from work. That's way to far to walk, and probably for alot of people, to far to bike. Biking isn't an option for me because I have to wear a suit and tie everyday and have no place to store a bike since I live on the 3rd floor of a condo. The Segway could be a great solution for me for half the year (assuming weather conditions) if it was cheaper. Half a year of using a Segway versus wasting gas in a car is still a lot.
Not only that, but what about grocery shopping? or small errands around town? Another solution the Segway can solve. So before you start complaining, start thinking. Unless of course you can live up to the high horse you're preaching on. But let's be honest, I don't think you complainers have ever walked or biked to the grocery store. Just because the Segway isn't a solution for you doesn't mean that it isn't a solution for someone else. So stop your pathetic preaching.
OlivierB @ Aug 14th 2006 11:05AM
Wanax, if you think carrying a 12 pound bike up 2 stairs is not convenient, what would you do with your segway? There's no way you would carry that thing up.
And if you've got storage/parking space downstairs for a Segway then you have space for a bike.
Btw, if you plan on getting to the office at 12mph max (Segway top speed) than you wouldn't be breaking any sweat on a bike (unless you live in a bumpy place like SF).
Looks like you could use a Scooter; they are much cheaper, go faster, have greater range and cost less to buy. You can even take a passenger on the back for those 125cc and up.
Running cost are insignificant.
Wanax @ Aug 14th 2006 11:13AM
A Segway is 100lbs. For me, that's not much. I actually do lift and exercise. Plus its a condo, storage space downstairs equals the size of a closet, no where near enough for a bike or scooter. Once again, biking isn't an option. I do live in a hilly area where there are alot of crazy commuters on the road (Wash DC area). Biking or using a scooter on these roads is just asking to for a premature death. With a Segway, I can ride on the sidewalks. So please, don't preach to me what my solution is just because you don't like the Segway.
I'm not saying its the greatest thing since slice bread, but I'm atleast willing to accept that for SOME PEOPLE, maybe even me, it can be a solution to their traveling needs.
PAC-3 @ Aug 14th 2006 11:15AM
All these new products won't remove the biggest obstacle Segway currently have: Price
It's all well and good when we're talking about the potential solutions to the everyday commuting problems but it has to be affordable in the first place! And with virtually no competition Segway doesn't have enough incentive to lower prices, which is still at $4000-$5000.
sullb @ Aug 14th 2006 11:16AM
Actually Wanax, I have to wear a suit to work and I still walk everywhere. I walk five miles to work and back everyday. I walk to the grocery store, book store, computer store, pub and anywhere else I need to go.
I live in Dublin, Ireland, where it is expensive to own and operate a car and public transportation is woefully inadequate. In the event that I have something large or heavy to transport, I call a cab.
I cannot for the life of me figure out how a Segway would be prefereable to walking. Spend $400 on some GoreTEX and a decent ruck sack and have $4600 left for a gadget that makes sense.
Jeff @ Aug 14th 2006 11:21AM
"Not only that, but what about grocery shopping? or small errands around town? Another solution the Segway can solve. So before you start complaining, start thinking. Unless of course you can live up to the high horse you're preaching on. But let's be honest, I don't think you complainers have ever walked or biked to the grocery store."
You're obviously not a New Yorker. We walk EVERYWHERE. I used to walk to the grocery store practically every day of the week before I moved to the suburbs (now I drive, once on weekends - and the Segway couldn't handle that load). Segways are illegal on sidewalks here, and we hate them because they annoy people who are using the sidewalks for their intended purpose... you know, it's called a sideWALK, not a sidesegway.
"I live about 6 miles from work. That's way to far to walk, and probably for alot of people, to far to bike."
I don't get it. You live 6 miles from work, but there are apparently no roads, no public transportation and you otherwise have to walk to the grocery store? Do you live out in the woods, and is your job and your grocery store also in the middle of that same forest?
There are four socially acceptable modes of transportation. 1. walking, 2. driving, 3. biking and 4. public transport. Between them, you've got everything covered, whether you're a greenie or not, and no matter how far you've got to go. Moreover, the entire transportation system is built with those methods of transportation in mind and nothing else. The Segway doesn't fit in - doesn't work on busy sidewalks or roads - and it never will.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled snarky comments on how geeky these new models look.
SLy @ Aug 14th 2006 11:31AM
Well said, Jeff.
S @ Aug 14th 2006 11:33AM
Jeff,
My mother uses a Segway in NYC, and she gets nothing but smiles. The Segway, even though it's in legal limbo: NOT ILLEGAL and NOT LEGAL, is PERFECT for NYC, and any relatively modern urban city.
When I visit I bring mine along and we glide together because she doesn't want to be stuck in traffic, or negotiate between cars on a bicycle.
It is a wonderful mode of transport. Police accept it, and so do pedestrians.
She has been gliding there for over two years. So Jeff, before you mouth off about how hated the Segway is in NYC, maybe you should do your research. Just because you live there, doesn't mean you know about the Segway and it's integration in to urban infrastructure.
It's still new, so people are scared and confused.
-S
Vick @ Aug 14th 2006 11:35AM
Jeff,
"There are four socially acceptable modes of transportation. 1. walking, 2. driving, 3. biking and 4. public transport."
When e-mail was first introduced, people made narrow minded comments like you thinking only ways of communication are by mail, phone, and fax.
Be humbled and you will see how little you are in the big picture.
absurdio @ May 3rd 2008 12:31AM
That's the haughtiest thing i've ever heard said in defense of a segway. ...which is saying a lot, considering the volatility of this comments section.
Neil @ Aug 14th 2006 11:38AM
You know, I have yet to see someone on a Segway (I think I've only seen three) where I don't think "Wow, what an asshat". I think GOB Bluth is the perfect epitome of the Segway user. "Come On!"
Wanax @ Aug 14th 2006 11:39AM
Well said, S.
Once again, just because the Segway isn't a viable solution for you doesn't mean that it can't be a viable solution for someone else.
TK101 @ Aug 14th 2006 11:42AM
Socially Acceptable? Like that should MATTER to me? Cripes, if I did everything just to be LIKED, Jeff...
Wanker ;)
TK
Chris @ Aug 14th 2006 11:46AM
Jeff, S, you both put good points down. But I think Jeff pulls ahead. The Segway never had much effect on how people lived. As some people were saying how it could be used for anything and would replace the automobile. It didn't.
The Segway just isn't practical enough for everyday use, although its a very good invention and seems very efficient. Sorry, it wouldn't sell for most people.
Rod @ Aug 14th 2006 11:55AM
This thing is clearly made for fat people or those who think they're handicapped, but are really not.
Ken @ Aug 14th 2006 11:56AM
How obscenely fat do most Americans need to get before companies realize we don't need more conveniences? Airlines *OUGHT* to charge people for two seats when their rear can't fit into one. Subways ought to double the fare if a person takes up an entire seat when sitting on the bus or train.
I, for one, am thankful at the prohibitive price of the Segway. If the Segway HT was under $300, I can promise you the average weight of Americans will soon be over 300 (pounds).
Rod @ Aug 14th 2006 11:59AM
Please do not compare this thing to e-mail. This thing does not revolutionize transportation at all.
Dignan17 @ Aug 14th 2006 12:00PM
"you know, it's called a sideWALK, not a sidesegway."
No, not well said, Jeff. Not well said at all (that's the dumbest comment I've read on here all day - fortunately for you the day is only half over).
Why is it that you cannot see this as being usefull for ANYone ANYwhere? I'm glad to see that the Segway detractors are mentioning where they live, because I can clearly see that they are not coming from the same place (mentally and physically) that Wanax is. NYC is a very different place than WDC. One of your arguments is that Segways are illegal on NYC sidewalks, so that's a reason why they're poor methods of transportation for EVERYONE? You need to think through you're arguments more carefully. Wanax wasn't saying that YOU PERSONALLY are suited to owning a Segway. He clearly stated that for "some" people, it's a great method of transportation.
Addressing Wanax's specific scenario: have any of you spent a summer in Washington DC? Aside from this past week of freekishly nice weather, this place is all about humidity. I don't know how it is in Dublin, sulb, or what you have going in NYC, but I've never once seen a biker in my area wearing a suit.
Lastly, some points:
-The amazing Segway weightloss! These comments started out with the Segway weighing 200lbs, then Wanax said it was 100lbs. Actually, the old model was 85lbs, the new one is 83, and the p series is 70. Not as light as a bike, but also not 200lbs.
-Segways are legal on all surfaces in DC, MD, and VA.
-My father just got a Segway. He had brain surgery last winter and now has almost no balance. He can't walk. He can ride his Segway and can now go back to work and travel to meetings (we'll be shipping the Segway).
-I LOVE walking. I walk 5 to 7 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY. Do you?
-Segways are VERY easy to take inside. with the power assist mode you can easily run it up a short set of stairs.
-Someone in the UK mentioned that there are no power outlets out in public, so you'll have to take this inside everywhere. Why? The battery lasts 16 to 24 hours of constant use.
I will give you one thing: sorry, Wanax, but I'm not sure how useful a Segway would be for grocery shopping. Maybe if you were only picking up a bag's-worth of food, sure. You could put it in a backpack. Other than that I don't see it.
Rod @ Aug 14th 2006 12:05PM
LOL. "I LOVE walking. I walk 5 to 7 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY. Do you?"
Sure... You love walking and yet you use a morbidly fat person's walker thing?
Dignan17 @ Aug 14th 2006 12:09PM
"LOL. "I LOVE walking. I walk 5 to 7 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY. Do you?"
Sure... You love walking and yet you use a morbidly fat person's walker thing?"
What are you talking about? Do you even look back over the word vomit you hurl at the internet?
Whatever @ Aug 14th 2006 12:09PM
Its virtually useless here in California where suburban living is sprawled out; "nobody walks in LA" is very true, although I understand the show biz folks tend to use them on the lots, and in sci-fi flicks.
On the other hand, if it was fast, and you could take it in a half-pipe, it might stand a chance.
justathought @ Aug 14th 2006 12:18PM
Lets take a trip back in time. I can almost hear someone saying the following: "Why would I pay that much money for an automobile when I already have horses."
My guess is no-one who has posted has actually used a Segway (I haven't) and see it as too expensive. Would it be worth it for $1000? It's too new to be geared toward the average person, but in 5-10 years it could be affordable for everyone, and if there are legal places to use it (like there are bike lanes in many areas) I could see it being quite usefull.
I see it as a paradigm shift. Too many people are unable to see the benefit of it now, but someday people could all want one. Many older people still don't see the benefit of the internet because they lived without it for so long. Almost nobody had a cell phone when they first came out. Too expensive, too big and bulky. "Why does anyone need a cell phone when they already have a phone at home or can use a pay phone?" Well that seems silly today now that esssentially everyone has a cell phone.
I'm not saying that the Segway is on par with the internet or cell phones in terms of a paradigm shift, but I think too many people have a knee jerk reaction to the Segway and say "It's useless and too expensive. Why not just walk?" I'd like to see what we'll be saying in 5-10 years. My guess is the landscape of debate on this subject will be entirely different and many of the comments in this post might seem quite silly in retrospect.
RacetrackOwner @ Aug 14th 2006 12:21PM
A motorcycle is still just a much better buy. $5000 will buy a pretty damned nice used bike. People regularly sell them so new they aren't even through the break-in period yet; in the past five years I've bought three bikes with under 1000 miles on them, and the most expensive was $6000. Better carrying capacity, better speed, longer range, excellent mileage, and just generally better overall mobility.
Sure you can use a Segway in places you can't use a motorcycle, but those aren't the places where transportation needs to be revolutionized -- generally speaking the only difference is that a Segway can be used where you could also walk. And people are rarely walking so far that they'll think to themselves, "I'd lay out 50 Franklins just so I didn't have to walk from the parking lot."
There are probably rare exceptions where it makes a little more sense, particularly in high-density places like NYC where significantly fewer people own vehicles in the first place, but at $5K with no real need being addressed, they aren't going to revolutionize anything.
Nick Fox @ Aug 14th 2006 12:22PM
Why does everyone keep saying that this thing will either A) Make you fat, or B) Be used by fat people. The Maximum weight for a Segway is 250 lbs. So if your are obese, sorry no ride. And if you just shilled out $5000 for a Segway, that weight limit makes for a good incentive to keep your @$$ in shape, if only to protect your investment.
Steve @ Aug 14th 2006 12:41PM
To tack on to what Dignan said:
The actual majority of Segway purchasers are people who are handicapped (not who "think they are"), or who have limited mobility. They're people who would normally be in a wheelchair, and who consider the additional expense worthwhile in order to have the dignity of being looked at in the eye when they're spoken to.
absurdio @ May 3rd 2008 12:39AM
Little known fact:
You can make eye contact with folks in wheel chairs, too.
-D @ Aug 14th 2006 12:43PM
Let's blame the world's problems, well, America's anyway, on close-minded, prejudging, oil-dependant people rather than those that like to tool around on an expensive toy (or mode of clean transportation depending on who you ask).
Aren't there more inportant things we can choose to complain about? Like wars or hunger. If all the anger, hostility, and negativity I read about with regard to Segways was channeled into something positive, who knows what could get accomplished. Seems trivial people spend their days crafting clever emails with regard to their dislike of an invention that no one forced them to acknowledge, and especially not buy or use. If you don't like them, don't use them... but what does defacing really accomplish?
Childish really... time to grow up world and take care of some bigger issues before we attempt to shoot down Segways.
(This from a man that has only ridden one of these things once... I'm a teacher and could never afford a Segway but I don't fault those who can. Ah, there's an issue to channel your energies towards, public education in America!)
DRAFT Fan @ Aug 14th 2006 12:45PM
Rod wrote:
"This thing is clearly made for fat people or those who think they're handicapped, but are really not."
Prepare to eat your words.
What about injured veterans of the Iraq war? Are they handicapped but think they're not?
What about people with Muliple Sclerosis who want to enjoy a national park, or watch their children run a marathon?
There are lots of people who have the physical ability to stand, but not walk. Should they give up and sit for the rest of their lives?
I may never need a segway, but I'm sure glad that if I do, these people will be fighting for my rights:
http://www.draft.org/draft3/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Karl @ Aug 14th 2006 1:06PM
I'd just like to bring everyone's attention to the other usees of Segways. They're not just for fat people. A few other people who benefit from Segways are:
- Elderly people (not too old obviously, but at the point were walking for any length of time is arduous)
- Pregnant Women
- People with small children
- People with mobility impairments (like knee injuries, things that limit walking, but not standing as much)
- People with prosthetic limbs. It can be much more convenient for them to stand than to hobble.
There are so many uses of Segways in each of those cases. So don't just insult it as something stupid for fat people. Walking is a difficult task for many people. Also, as they are battery powered, they're more environmentally friendly than some alternative transport methods (like driving, public transport). I personally don't, but many people do care about that sort of thing. Its a good thing from that perspective.
Karl
Richard @ Aug 14th 2006 1:22PM
Question: Do any medical plans recognize a Segway? They are expensive and most plans will cover either a wheelchair/walker/scooter. Just wondering.
Brian @ Aug 14th 2006 1:47PM
Where does it say the Segway is only rated for 250lb? As a 320lb man, my Segway gets me everywhere I need to go. In addition to Karl's list, a few other people who could benefit from Segways are:
- Soccer Moms. When not riding around in your minivan or H2, you can proudly display your "My child is an honor student" and the tacky soccer ball sticker.
- Fat Kids. Why walk when you can ask mom & dad for a Segway to get you to and from the bus.
- Dead Lawyers. There's still money to be made by suing your fellow man, why let death get you down? Prop a dead lawyer up in Segway and roll him in to the courtroom.
...but seriously, I love my Segway. I don't have to pant nearly so hard as I chase after the ice cream truck in my Segway.
L @ Aug 14th 2006 2:02PM
I went to Rice. I can understand why people would want a Segway. It was at least a mile and a half walk, in 100-degree weather with 95% humidity, in September, just to get to your car so you could go grab dinner. Though we did make fun of the football players who rode scooters *everywhere.* Wonder why they kept losing.
Cheap and lazy @ Aug 14th 2006 2:03PM
I am cheap and lazy, and I love it: I don't have to / want to pedal 3 miles each way to and from work, and I don't have to pay for gas.
I am willing to live with the ridicule. I love my Segway.
-C and L
yeoua @ Aug 14th 2006 2:12PM
It seems that there is one thing that people are missing... time.
Sure walking is a great option: clean, convenient, cheap. And I walk around my college campus for everything (I dislike the bus). However, it may take 15-20 minutes to walk from one end of campus to the other ... and this is a brisk walk.
The Segway however can do much better than walking speed, which could cut my travel times down to 5-10 minutes. Of course, I could use a bicycle, but if you've ever seen a Segway in action, it is clear that the Segway is much more manueverable than a bike. It is about as manueverable as walking, while a bike could be more of a hazard on the sidewalk. Several times I have been nearly run over by a biker.
But yes... saving 5-10 minutes may not seem like much.. until you look at where you are. If you have a 40 minute class, a 1-2 hour break, then another 40 minute class, and it takes 15-20 min to walk to the first, it makes no sense to walk back to the room for the break... and then back for the 2nd class. You end up using most of the break for walking.
If I could make that travel in 5-10 minutes, I still have a substantial amount of time left, which gives me more options ... other than sitting around the lab trying to do work remotely before the 2nd class.
So I guess my main argument is time. Walking and driving is great, but the Segway may get you there faster.
Jules @ Aug 14th 2006 2:18PM
I like the changes to the Segway. Lean steering is definitely more intuitive. I often thought that leaning instead of turning the handle would be way better. The keyless start is a good step too with improved security. I can't wait to try one!