Besides the price tag, I think they reason they didn’t catch on is the reason there isn’t more bicycle use: not enough safe places to use them. Either you’re sharing the road with cars…danger! or you’re sharing the sidewalk with pedestrians, in which case you are the danger.
Yes. The Segway always struck me as a kind of Cure in search of a Disease.
Actually, the Segway HAS a market, but it’s not the broad consumer base they’d hoped for. It’s used by security guards, especially those who have to cover large areas. I still don’t quite understand their popularity with Mall Cops (I see them in a lot of malls), but I completely understand the guys at places like EPCOT using them – they have to cover a Huge range. Or Campus security.
Another big market is tourism. Clarke’s Trading Post in New Hampshire still rents out both short-term use of these and has longer-term trail caravans. Salem, Massachusetts has two different companies giving Segway tours (It makes sense. The stuff in Salem is far apart, and some of iit isn’t easily reacable by bus. and Segways are FUN). You see chains of tourists in DayGlo vests sandwiched between Segwayed guides shepherding them from Witch House to Witch Memorial. The novelty factor is a big player here – for most people, this is the only chance they’ll get to ride segway without buying one. Plus, you’re on vacation, so anything goes.
I did meet one woman who’d bought her own Segway and used it regularly (I met her in Salem, MA, too). This was the supposed target market, but i’ve never met another one. I suspect most people would rather get a bicycle, which is not only cheaper and faster, but easier to get parts for and repairs.
Steve Wozniak heads a group of 10-15 Segway riders in the San Jose area; I think they play some kind of Segway soccer and they show up to ride in our local 4th of July Parade. Otherwise I don’t see them used much around here.
There was a company that wanted to rent Segways out for use on the Los Gatos Creek multi-use trail, but the council would not approve using them on the trail. It was a cool idea, but Segways just wouldn’t fit in with the existing user base and traffic flow.
Everyone will no doubt be surprised to learn that a very expensive, high-tech and silly-looking scooter-stick turned out to be a niche product, a solution looking (in vain) for a problem.
But Dean Kamen’s IQ is still really, really high.
It’s just a recreational vehicle. I suppose for mall and airport cops it’s somewhat utile, but otherwise it’s an expensive toy limited to locations where there are flat surfaces and ramps. They make some off-road tire for the thing also, but that doesn’t make it any more useful. I haven’t ridden one, and if I hadn’t played with so many other toys, much cooler than that, I probably would have made an effort to try one out.
Reminds me of an xkcd cartoon :
It is labelled something like “Oops–this may upset our plans for dominating the earth”.
The picture is of a Dalek.
A Dalek at the bottom of long staircase, looking up..
Whenever I go to conventions or antique shows at larger facilities, there’s often Segways in use by security and/or managers.
And that’s one of the places that you can rent one.
Except now they can fly (for some value of the word now).
Segway polo. The world championship is the Woz Challenge Cup, named after Wozniak.
Basically, they are in competition with the unicycle market. Both are the least practical mode of transportation, chosen only for a certain level of hipster coolness.
For anyone with mobility problems, they will most likely want something with a seat like those scooters you see advertised during the evening news.
Everyone else that would feel stupid on one of those mobility scooters, because able bodied people just don’t go around in wheel chairs, would be better served by a bicycle.
That’s what all of us nay-sayers said when Segways were first introduced. They might make for a fun toy, but outside of a few special niches they’re totally impractical for most people.
Yeah, the traffic “flow” on the trail is already pretty crazy, with walkers, runners, dog walkers, stroller pushers, bicyclists of all types, rollerbladers, skateboarders and the cops on dirt bikes. Saw someone on horseback a couple of weeks ago.
Other than the odd Woz sighting, I mostly see them in the City on the Embarcadero being used by tourist to scare the daylights out of other tourists.
My wife and I always try to do a Segway tour when we go on vacation. It’s a lot of fun, and you can cover a fair amount of distance quickly. But, there’s no reason why we would want to actually own one.
I know for a while they were thinking about developing the Segway Centaur which looked pretty cool. I think it’s been scrapped now.
Looks like they’re currently working on Project PUMA, which makes the Segway human transporter look downright sexy by comparison.
The Centaur looks like it would be about as useful as a motorchair…except that it doesn’t have a cargo space.
Here is someone’s attempt at making a Segway-technology skateboard. When it first came out I thought there might be other applications of the technology, but there really aren’t any good ones. I initially though it might have some robotics application, but something that has 3 or more wheels won’t need to consume power to stay upright, can be just as mobile, and cost less. It’s as useful as a pogo stick.
Maybe they’re used by chimpanzeesnow.
(Warning: link to a very catchy song.)
DAMN you. I’m going to have to sing Muskrat Love at full volume for an hour to drive out that earworm.