Segway recalls all 23,500 scooters sold due to software glitch!

It's not quite as exciting as, say, the idea of exploding Segways, but a software glitch that has those iconic Personal Transporters suddenly reversing torque and falling over ain't nothing to scoff at. Segway has today announced the recall of all 23,500 Segway units sold between March 2002 and now (as in, every single one), and involves the i167, i170, i180, p133, XT, GT and i2 models. It isn't Segway's first time around the old recall wheel, in September of 2003 they recalled all 6,000 Segways sold to date due to another falling glitch. This time apparently the Human Transporter "can unexpectedly apply reverse torque to the wheels," as in, go in reverse while the rider is leaning forward -- spelling certain doom for the nerd aboard. Segway has gotten six reports of head and wrist injuries so far, and is recalling the units to local service providers who can apply a simple software update and have you on your way in no time.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[S @ Sep 14th 2006 10:18AM]

What Engadget failed to mention was that this recall was initiated not by the CPSC but by Segway, and the circumstances of the "glitch" are specific, and virtually impossible when riding responsibly.

In essence, the Segway must be at speed limiter (top speed), then the control shaft must be suddenly pulled back, the rider's foot off and then back on the platform, for the segway to reverse torque.

Again, virtually impossible unless you're doing something silly.

I think those users who have experienced this were doing things which were, lets say, not recommended.

-S

[dave95 @ Sep 14th 2006 10:25AM]

In today’s Whitehouse Press Briefing, Tony Snow will brief the press on why it was not Bush’s fault he fell of that dreaded Segway but instead a software glitch!

[MGM @ Sep 14th 2006 10:41AM]

"as in, go in reverse while the rider is leaning forward -- spelling certain doom for the nerd aboard"

Hilarious. Thank you.

[n8diggity @ Sep 14th 2006 10:43AM]

I saw this family who rented a few of them and were tooling around a shopping area. One of the young girls seriously took a spill and broke her face open because of this. She was just an inexperienced user.

[Evan @ Sep 14th 2006 10:53AM]

Segway has only sold 23,500 in total? So much for being a revolution in transportation.

[I think not @ Sep 14th 2006 10:57AM]

Re: n8diggity,

So you saw the girl going full speed, pulling the stick back, getting off and back on the machine... It's funny because if people were ACTUALLY doing what needed to be done for this to happen, they would be kicked out of any shopping area because they were riding recklessly. That is a dangerous maneuver, and Segway rental operators would NOT allow the expert key for rentals (as far as I know).

Just admit that you made it up and we'll be on our way, NATE.

[M. Rod Von Hugenstein @ Sep 14th 2006 11:32AM]

What the hell? Just go buy a bicycle, and get some exericise.

[unreal mccoy @ Sep 14th 2006 11:32AM]

first post by "S"? I smell a Woz in our midst...

[tim @ Sep 15th 2006 1:54PM]

Why isn't this something users can update on their own? You mean there's no easy software update function? That's just dumb.

[tim1987 @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:11PM]

Probably because they don't want people to be using 'souped up' firmwares trying to get it to go faster, and have it break, and flash it back to stock firmware, and have to get it warranty'd.

[aws910 @ Sep 14th 2006 12:40PM]

Am I the last one to know that the guy in the pic is Bush?

[Perrey Z. @ Sep 14th 2006 4:29PM]

asw910: Yes they are the Bushes. Not only can Georgie initiate meaningless wars for oil profit in the name of our so-called "way of life" and democracy, and is an expert on the art of lying and as we all know needs a crash course in Hook-on-Phonics for the few "Nukular" mistakes he had said, but he's a terrible Segway driver as well! i guess being terrible at everything is a Bush tradition.

[JeffM @ Sep 14th 2006 4:26PM]

Please don't call that thing a scooter. :(

[builttospill @ Sep 14th 2006 1:12PM]

Umm...where's the video?

[sinclair @ Sep 14th 2006 2:37PM]

funny, my bike doesn't need software updates.

[Scorpious @ Sep 14th 2006 2:55PM]

Don't these things only go like 5mph anyway? I mean, I can outrun one on a bad day, let alone a good day. Give me a mountain bike over that any day, I'd rather get somewhere faster AND be stronger when I get there than fall off a glitchy electric scooter thingy.

[Chris @ Sep 14th 2006 3:09PM]

Scorpious, they go 12.5 MPH. I doubt you could run that fast for very long, certainly not the 10 miles the older Segways go and definintely not the 24 the new ones do. I do so appreciate the snark in the room. yay internet.

[n8diggity @ Sep 14th 2006 3:29PM]

"I think not"- You got me. Now my plans for world domination, all based on the defamation of the Segway, are ruined.

... I'll have to think of a new plan ...

[jonesin @ Sep 14th 2006 4:20PM]

I was at the mall yesterday and to my amusement, the mall security guards were riding them on their patrols, dorky helmet and all. For a split second I felt sorry for them. Having to don a helmet and ride a segway while hordes of youth point and laugh.

[Dan @ Sep 14th 2006 4:40PM]

I hate to say it...


Owned.

[JAmerican @ Sep 14th 2006 6:13PM]

Perrey Z, I applaud you :) I hope Bush was one of the victims of head injury. Probably, it would knock some sense back into him that the doc knocked out at birth.

J

[JAmerican @ Sep 14th 2006 6:14PM]

BTW Perrey Z, when you say Bushes you mean those green things in the background

[Anthony @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:49PM]

Isn't that George Bush falling off?

[Sean @ Sep 14th 2006 11:34PM]

Does this mean the revolution will be put on hold for a while? Does anyone remember what life was like before Segways?

[cws @ Sep 16th 2006 6:11PM]

No, it's too advanced for users to update at home. Involves a computer and USB cable. =) If they allowed home-updates, the nerds who ride them would figure out how to take off the speed limiter and our country's future would be doomed.

[spil @ Sep 16th 2006 1:06PM]

why not just incude wifi on the segway... when your riding around, whenever you drive through a wifi hotspot, it will go onto the segway website and update the "firmware". If you don't have wifi at your house, there would also be an included usb port for conecting to the internet via your computer. I doubt that this will be a problem, because any one rich enough and nerdy enough to buy a segway probably has a wifi network in their house.

[JDizzle @ Oct 6th 2007 10:35AM]

Then while it's updating the firmware you ride out of the hotspot, it loses connection and bricks!

[72OpelGT @ Nov 15th 2006 4:35PM]

I rode one of these things once as I happened to be at the Student Center at MIT when they were being demonstrated. I admit it was fun, but I felt like a geek.