Against all odds, GM and Segway let us inside their
precious P.U.M.A. prototype, and we went for a quick jaunt down 18th St. We couldn't drive it, unfortunately, but there was plenty of action to be had from the passenger side. Starting from a rest on four wheels -- the main powered wheels and the front two "safety" wheels; we never touched the back two to the ground -- the contraption shoves itself up onto two wheels quite gracefully, with the passenger compartment moving slightly independently from the wheelbase and floor. It was a bit odd, but not at all unpleasant, and we were soon zipping down the road. Since the P.U.M.A. is self-balancing, we felt way less force when accelerating and decelerating than we would in a car, since our body was being "leaned" into it instead of pulled along. Turning on a dime is quite fun as well, and we could see this thing making itself quite at home on city streets. While it remains to be seen if GM and Segway can commercialize this in time, and for the right price, we're fairly enamored -- at least it's something different, and it's already twice as interesting as Segway ever managed to be.
Camera work and moral support courtesy of Autoblog Green's Sebastian Blanco.
posted April 7th 2009 2:05PM
If it's like a Segway the wheels have independent motors so it can turn on a dime, there are no brakes as it slows probably by just pulling back on the yoke. With the Segway riding is intuitive with your feet controlling speed and forward and back, also charges when slowing down and going down hills. you can trash the look but as a person who does not drive because of poor eye sight the Segway has been a godsend as I no longer have to depend on anyone for most any thing.
goodbye, GM. apologies to all the hard-working men & women who will lose their jobs.
Olympics 2016 Chicago
The golf cart of the future!
Everyone complaining about the looks must not realize this is just the test vehicle, not the final look. Looking at the initial sketch of the design it will look quite nice if it ends up looking anything like the sketch.
Looks sort of phallic http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/04/segway-unveiled-031.jpg
will you need a motorcycle license to use this?
d.pelkey had a brilliant idea. They should collaborate on design and marketing with Apple. Say what you will about Apple, but they know how to design things, and they know how to market them. Now, this thing isn't the best thing in many ways - but it does push us in the right direction. The problem is the "image" - many people will feel awkward about riding in one of these, some will think it's just lame, others will think it's for geeks only, yet others will think it's utterly ridiculous. However, if Apple gets behind this and makes it "cool" then it will open up a way for a whole slew of new kinds of "unconventional" vehicles.
I'm sure its going to fail, which is unfortunate. I'd love one of those things, assuming I had a place to park it and charge it.
Kudos on getting the camera people from Cloverfield to video it. Love the times when it was about to do something interesting and the camera looked away at just the right moment.
Get a motorcycle.
Also 2 wheels
89859034285098230948309 as cool.
Only if it's pure electric.
At last, a vehicle powered entirely by derisive laughter.
Hasn't the government been banning small vehicles for years because they don't pass crash safety tests? This is a cheap ploy to justify the bailouts.
In response to critics claiming the Puma is not say enough for the streets and too fast for the sidewalk, GM says they hope it will encourage urban areas to create special lanes for the Puma. I was doing some research and found a massive nation-wide group of people looking to get special lanes for their self-powered vehicles called "bicycles," or "bikes" for short. They even have bicycles built for two, known as tandem bikes. They are very affordable and are actually the most efficient and eco-friendly form of human transportation. Maybe GM can do some R&D on "bikes."
Puuuma man, he drives like a moor-on!
Seriously, Why is GM going broke? Oh yeah, they build crap that nobody wants. This things is a #$%#$ joke! All their focus should be on a car that people want.
thats sweet
This will fail bigger than the Segway. It's like a go-kart with a "2 wheel" novelty. Unfortunately theres not much demand for go-karts, except for with kids... but kids don't have money. No wonder GM is bankrupt.
This is an extreme waste of money. The segway is an example of a design shoe horned something just because they had an invention - now what to do with it. This is one more step in the wrong direction. The stair climbing wheelchair DEKA created was useful.. this is not.
There are already many Neighborhood Electric Cars on the market which have much more functionality and utility than this thing. Probably for less money as well.
I'll miss GM (I drive a GM car)
Amazing conception.
This is going to take off where Segway didn't.
The rickshaw of the future?
I think these are brilliant alternative for those who don't take the train. Cars need to get smaller/lighter to consume less energy and Americans need to stop being such fat asses.
Am I the only one that thinks that it is a normal segway on steroids? added seats and widened space between wheels. Where's the big deal?
If I had filmed this video, I don't think I would have had the balls to put my name on the credits! Is Sebastian a 6 year old? How about a wind sock on the mike? Absolutely terrible!
It look like something Steve Urkle would own.
Watching the video I am picking up a small rattle sound...Is that the P.U.M.A. or the idling bus in the background ?
Just another reason for why the government shouldn't be pumping money into a company ruled by stupidity.
If this does not convince you that GM should file for Bankruptcy nothing will. Simpletons and Morons.
i so want one so i could use it to pick up chicks. think about it the ladies will so be all over me once they see my sweet ride ...
get out of the bike lane. it's illegal to drive it in there.
It is not really surprising why GM is finished and why Obama said it's plans are not cutting it.
This device is not a car. Does anyone else see that?
Just the fact that GM is partnering with Segway shows how bad things really are.
They had the chance to develop an electric vehicle they delibratrely scuppered it in CA courts 20 years ago,
They deserve what they get.
Segway is for rich CEO cats only and so is this device.
GM's CEO was totally out of touch, why he is no longer employed. GM bosses must have thought OBAMA was an idiot like the rest of us.
Someone needs to shut off the flow of funding to Dean Kamen so that he stops cranking out this crap. Y\Like the Segway, you can't drive it on sidewalks and would have to have a suicide bomber's death wish to try it in traffic.
OK, so what we have here is an electric cart with 2 wheels instead of 4. I'm sure I'm missing something, someone please tell me what I'm supposed to get excited about.
It's like the Mighty Mouse:
OMG we have no buttons, and to compensate for that we have a touch sensitive surface! Isn't the engineering awesome?
Look, we have two wheels, and instead of putting them in the logical positions developed with bicycles we have them on the wrong axis so that the vehicle will tip forward unless we add in a bunch of crazy gyroscopes...
Just bundle the Puma with other cars and make tons of noise about how complicated it is (like that "gravity-defying" watch) and people will learn to love it. The "I use a Puma; look how complicated it is!" elitism will affect other people in a way advertising never could.
A wheelchair for 2 person, neat!
HOW MUCH?
Most. Useless. Cameraman. Ever.
watch it without the sound.
wait, where did it go? why isn't he watching it? is he laughing too hard to stay focused on it? oh wait there it is.
No, he still can't stay focused on it and camera's shaking all over.. Holy shit did they hit him or just grab the camera away from him.. no looks like he got on the thing.. god he's awful, so tight-focused on the handlebars you can't see how what the driver's doing is affecting the speed or motion any.
Hey you're gonna hit that pedestrian! WTF camera guy why the fuck are you pointing at the ground? looking for after-the-fact roadkill proof? did they hit him? no shoes... I guess not.
GOD this guy sucks wrt staying focused on the action.
Whoever was responsible for holding the camera should be taken out behind the office and shot.
There's a rival invention to the P.U.M.A. where you sit between two wheels, but the wheels are at the back and front, not at the sides. The front one steers the invention. Recharging is not necessary, you have one footholder for each foot, and as you push them round in a circle, the machine moves forward. This means you can also get your daily workout on the way to work, without having to pay for a sports club. Why did no one think of that before? I don't think anyone has chosed a name for it yet, it's so new...