The Chronicler's Web (TCW)

by DAN CALLOWAY
Published 11 December 2009 @ 17:57 UCT

ATLANTA, GA – The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The name “Segway” is a homophone of “segue” (a smooth transition, literally Italian and Portuguese for “follows”). PT is an initialism for personal transporter while the old suffix HT was an initialism for human transporter.

Computers and motors in the base of the device keep the Segway PT upright when powered on with balancing enabled. Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward, and turn by using a “Lean Steer” handlebar, leaning it left or right. Segway PTs are driven by electric motors at up to 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 km/h). Gyroscopic sensors are used to detect tilting of the device which indicates a departure from perfect balance. Motors driving the wheels are commanded as needed to bring the PT back into balance.

The Segway was unveiled Dec. 3 2001, following months of public speculation , and first produced in 2002.

Its limited capabilities compared to vehicles of similar price have limited the Segway’s adoption by the general public. Segways have had success in niche markets such as transportation for police departments, military bases, warehouses, corporate campuses or industrial sites. The legal road worthiness of the Segway varies with different jurisdictions’ classification of the device as a motor vehicle.

Recently, my wife, Jeannie, and I traveled to Europe where we visited Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam, Nederland.  Before departing, we purchased a segway tour for two in Atlanta, Georgia.  When we arrived back in the States, the following day we took the segway tour from a company called City Segway Tours.  The tour was around three hours long, which began with a 10- to 15-minute training session on how to ride and maneuver on the segway.  I must tell you that I was a little apprehensive at first, but after about 15 minutes, I was excited to be on a segway.

Riding a segway is a little like riding a horse.  I know, you were probably expecting me to say that riding a segway was like riding a bicycle.  However, I used the “riding a horse” analogy instead because the segway is steered like a horse–not a bike–and if you do something stupid on the segway, it will buck you like a horse.  One must be very careful when riding a segway not to run into objects or allow the wheels to scrape against the curb or other objects that might get in the way as this is a sure fire way of getting thrown off.  Segways don’t like mixed signals, and having one wheel slow down abruptly while the other wheel is moving at 10+ mph will definitely send mixed signals to the onboard computers that control the balance of the device itself.

Needless to say, I had a great time on the segway, and so did Jeannie.  We rode all through Atlanta on the segway and wanted to stay on it after the tour was over.  If it wasn’t for the pricey $6000+ price tag for a new segway, I would definitely own one.