I'd love to see the off-road version!
I hope it comes with the ability to dodge trees on its own. I'm guessing an outdoor model would have to be very smart, almost self-guiding.
Segway by Honda
51–60 of 64 posts
Re: Segway by Honda
#52Need a monster version built out of top fuel dragster components.
Re: Segway by Honda
#53I'm not particularly impressed by the chair (references to both pg's Segway essay and the fat people in Wall.E come to mind), but I'm very interested in the omniwheel technology. Imagine a wheelchair with one omnidirectional wheel instead of four. That'd make a world of difference for disabled people!
They didn't invent the omni wheel, been around for a while. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omni_wheel I'm sure Honda tuned it up a bit though. Also, there have been some wheelchairs made with omni-directional wheels, although I'm not sure if they are only a prototypes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecanum_wheel
Are you sure? This omniwheel is novel because the rollers are powered. This is the first device I've seen that can move in any direction with a single wheel.
Re: Segway by Honda
#54Stupid for humans, maybe, but that'd be a cool mobility platform for robots.
I was hoping to see Asimo riding it.
Re: Segway by Honda
#55I see this and I think about the fat people in Wall-E. What's wrong with using your legs?
Funny, I saw it and thought fat people in wal-mart. This could revolutionize the electric shopping cart industry, much as the segway turned the airport police patrol and guided tour sectors on their ears almost a decade agoe.
This is clearly a new type of unicycle and will revolutionize the clown industry.
Re: Segway by Honda
#56I see this and I think about the fat people in Wall-E. What's wrong with using your legs?
I think honda is targeting old people and using young people to demo how it works. PS: If your legs actually work then clearly you should be using these 24/7. http://www.gizmag.com/powerbocking/12337/
Old people give up their mobility way too fast, often because of depression, isolation, or sheer lack of anything to do. A device like this will only accelerate the process. Young or old, we all tend to perceive a certain level of exertion as unpleasant, even dangerous, and that level is well below the level of exertion required to keep us fit and healthy. Obviously we are very poorly adapted to living in an environment where physical exertion is optional. The more we make exertion optional, the faster our bodies will degenerate.
Re: Segway by Honda
#57Looks like you have to stoop forward constantly to stay in motion. Not useful as a vehicle, not even for a short while. Maybe useful as an office-chair replacement?
Office chair was the first thing I thought of when I saw them sliding sideways. I wonder how hard it would be to stay still enough to type accurately.
Re: Segway by Honda
#58I see this and I think about the fat people in Wall-E. What's wrong with using your legs?
I think honda is targeting old people and using young people to demo how it works. PS: If your legs actually work then clearly you should be using these 24/7. http://www.gizmag.com/powerbocking/12337/
I'd rather keep my legs working - those look very prone to ankle/knee levering injuries.
Re: Segway by Honda
#59In the mall near me all the security personnel rides around on "conventional" segways, presumably to get to whatever issue arises faster. Mind you the mall is a two story mall with stairs and escalators. What exactly happens if the security office is on the bottom floor and the issue that needs immediate attention is on the top floor? I imagine ditching the segway would be a bad idea.
Well I guess it would be fairly easy to build security in: an rfid card, or a bluetooth app on a phone.
Re: Segway by Honda
#60For those who haven't seen it: http://tlb.org/eunicycle.html
I kinda expected to be invented by some girl named Eunice.