Taking the Segway for a spin

"We don't compete with a bicycle," he said. That old-fashioned two-wheel technology, he argues, can't go where the Segway HT can, which is on a city sidewalk. The HT is designed to be no wider than a person's shoulders, allowing for easy maneuverability, and it moves along no faster than a marathon runner, hitting a maximum of 12.5 miles per hour.

Scooting by The Segway Human Transporter isn't an average scooter by any means. Top speed: 12.5mph Range: Up to 17 miles Turning radius: None. Can rotate 360 degrees in place. Platform height: 8 inches Width: 19 inches Length: 25 inches Weight: 80 pounds Cost: initially S$0 (US$0) to S$0 (US$0)

"We think this competes with sneakers," he said. "This is a magic pair of sneakers."

As my visit moves on from conversation to demonstration, staffers at Segway's R&D center are concerned that several HTs are dirty, wiping them down to remove evidence of their use and abuse in the facility. But, if you ask me, dirt doesn't hurt. These machines are likely to get very dirty in the real world.

Though the base on which the rider stands is only eight inches high, the first tentative step up seems a lot higher. Once I'm on, the Segway shifts back and forth a tiny bit, like it's hunting for equilibrium. This is, in fact, what it's doing. Though it can be somewhat startling initially, both rider and machine have to get used to each other, the engineers explain. Once the HT and the rider's sense of balance get acquainted--and they do so very quickly--it's time to ride.

Kamen, obviously please to be showing the device to a newbie, explains that it's better to grab the handlebar with one hand first, before getting on. I get off, put my right hand on, step up first with my right foot and then with my left. This time, the HT moves back quickly, and I realize that I have my left foot on only about halfway. The machine is reacting normally. I'm the one who was out of balance.

So let's roll: Once you get used to standing on the machine--it took me only a couple of minutes to feel comfortable--you simply lean forward slightly to move forward, and you straighten up to slow and stop. The machine responds to the slightest input. Helmeted, I take several laps along the far wall of the R&D center, flanked on one side by a Segway engineer and on the other by my PR handler. At the end of each lap, I turn on a dime and head in the other direction. (You could also lean backward to move in reverse, if you want. But it's a lot easier to rotate the machine 180 degrees and move forward.)

Standing still on the machine, I notice a very slight back-and-forth wobble. But if I lean backward or forward too far, the machine moves to stay underneath me. It works as its own safety net--imagine trying to balance a ruler on the palm of your hand, and succeeding.

The HT hardly makes a sound. It uses a pair of electric motors connected to large plastic wheels with rubber tires. The wheels can spin independently, and in different directions to rotate the machine 360 degrees in place. Tilt sensors and five gyroscopes monitor a rider's center of gravity and let the motors know which way to propel the device. A twist grip on the lefthand side of the HT's handlebars provides steering input. A red button brings the machine to a halt. I suggest they add a horn button on the other side.

When they ask if I've had enough, I say sure. But I'd have rather ridden around some more, maybe taken the Human Transporter tour of Manchester. I dismount, anyway.

A high-tech three-speed
For the moment, the HT seems destined to operate in one of several preprogrammed performance modes--for a beginner, for city cruising and for full-out motoring. The modes would be coordinated with the HT's 128-bit "key," which must be presented to turns the machine on.

Most of the Segway folks appeared to be motoring in all-out mode. In fact, one of the ramps inside the R&D facility looks suspiciously like a skateboarder's half pipe. It's doubtful that the company would recommend you try that at home, though.

I'm a go-fast guy myself, a rollerblader, skier and auto racer. But I think that just about anyone could get used to riding Segway's HT. If that "anyone" starts to shape up into "everyone"--a big if right now--the potential for an aftermarket in HT accessories is huge. The potential for bolt-on high-performance parts is probably a little slimmer, however.

There will be items that make the machine more useful. Segway is already working on storage pouches and a trailer. But I think that people would naturally want to customize their HTs the way they do a car. Maybe we'll see custom colors and chrome wheel covers. Fuzzy dice can't be that far in the future.

Companies and government agencies will likely see uses for the Segway HT, which makes sense for day-to-day operations in large warehouses or on mail routes. In fact, the U.S. Postal Service is among those testing the machine, as is the Boston Police Department.

A golf cart or jitney might be available for less than an HT, but the Segway machine is more maneuverable and less obtrusive.

The big question is whether the average person will pony up the estimated S$8,000 (US$5,890.02) to own the HT. That's a steep price in these uncertain times. But many people will pay that much for all sorts of devices, like a high-end lawn tractor with cup holders, if they think they can benefit from it. After all, some people paid that much for a 286-based PC.