The Segway is an electrically-powered, self-balancing personal transportation vehicle, a form of urban transportation. It was invented and designed by American inventor Dean Kamen and his team at DEKA Research and Development Corp. and founded Segway LLC. which has been commercializing and mass-producing the Segway since December 2001 for sale. Although once considered an epoch-making technological invention with a promising future, Segway's products have not been as well received as originally expected due to a number of practical factors.
Early in 2002, American inventor Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway Human Transporter ----, a newly invented self-balancing one-legged scooter that is said to revolutionize the way humans travel in the future.
Introduction
Because the Segway is a brand new and unprecedented form of transportation, it is difficult to define its type using traditional categorization. Some people believe that the Segway should be a two-wheeled version of a Unicycle, while others believe that it should be a type of Stand-up Scooter, but with a single-axle, two-wheeled design, which is a bit different from the traditional two-axle, two-wheeled scooter. In some more formal contexts, such as official road regulations, the Segway is also known as an Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device (EPAMD), commonly referred to as a mobility scooter.
Segway's product name, "Segway," is derived from the English word "Segue," which means "to go smoothly," and is used to describe this type of transportation. The word "Segway" is derived from the word "Segue", which means "to go smoothly", to describe the type of transportation that allows people to ride around the city without obstacles.
The self-balancing, one-legged scooter has been called "Ginger" and "It" before it was introduced to the public. Carmen believes it has the potential to shorten trips, replace automobiles and change the outlook for urban tourism.
First, users stand with their feet on a flat surface supported by two wheels and hold on to a bicycle-like handle. Then they learn how to move the scooter back and forth, as well as turn the handle to rotate the direction. The vehicle is equipped with two wheels, operated by a gyroscope, is no wider than the shoulder width of an average adult, weighs 80 pounds, and is battery operated. The car operates without brakes or throttle levers, and moves forward when the driver leans forward, and stops when the driver stands upright.Segway utilizes the principle of dynamic balance, whereby the center of gravity changes as the body moves to achieve equilibrium. Just as the human body loses balance when standing and leaning forward, the body's innate balance organ informs the brain of the situation and the brain gives the instruction to move the feet to maintain balance.Segway uses wheels to replace the function of the feet, replicating the highly sophisticated balancing action of humans.Segway is inexpensive to use, quiet and convenient to move, powered by two sets of nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries with an electronic charging system, with an average range of 10 to 20 minutes on a full charge. Its power source is two sets of NiMH rechargeable batteries with an electronic charging system, and its average range is more than 16 kilometers on a full charge. Some people call it the "Segway Human Transportation Scooter," others call it the "Segway Human Transporter," and some Americans and media outlets refer to it simply as the Segway.
Principle
Segway's The Segway's principle of operation is based on a fundamental principle known as Dynamic Stabilization, which is the ability of the vehicle itself to balance itself. The built-in precision solid-state gyroscopes are used to determine the body's posture, and the motor is driven by a precise and high-speed central microprocessor that calculates the appropriate commands to achieve the balancing effect. Suppose we take the longitudinal axis of the overall center of gravity of the driver standing in the car and the vehicle as a reference line. When this axis is tilted forward, the built-in electric motor in the Segway body will generate forward force to balance the torque between the driver and the vehicle tilted forward on one hand, and generate acceleration to make the vehicle move forward on the other hand, on the contrary, when the gyroscope finds out that the driver's center of gravity is tilted backward, it also generates backward force to achieve the balancing effect. Therefore, as long as the driver changes the angle of his/her body to lean forward or backward, the Segway will move forward or backward according to the direction of tilt, and the speed is proportional to the degree of tilt of the driver's body. In principle, as long as the Segway is properly powered and maintains enough power to operate, the person on board doesn't have to worry about tipping over and falling, which is very different from scooters and other forms of transportation that require the driver to balance on his or her own.
If you take the first Segway product, the Segway HT (HT stands for Human Transporter), for example, this vehicle is equipped with five solid-state gyroscopes. In fact, the vehicle only needs three gyroscopes to fully control the degree of front-to-back and side-to-side tilt, so the two extra gyroscopes are actually used as a backup device to ensure safety on the road. The vehicle's energy source is two nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries, with an optional lithium-ion rechargeable battery for later models. In addition to forward/backward tilt correction and forward/reverse steering, the Segway can be steered in two different ways, one of which is that, as with most bicycle or motorcycle vehicles, the driver tilts his or her center of gravity to the left or right while the vehicle continues to move forward (or backward, which is a maneuver only available on the Segway), and utilizes the weight of the driver to create a perpendicular weight to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as a centripetal force when turning. The centripetal force generated by the weight of the driver's body perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the car is used as the centripetal force for turning. In addition, the driver can also twist the steering wheel (handle) of the Segway to create a speed difference between the left and right wheels. For example, when the steering wheel is turned to the left, the speed of the right wheel will be faster than that of the left wheel, thus achieving the effect of steering to the left. If necessary, the Segway can even make one wheel forward and one wheel backward to achieve the effect of steering in place, thus greatly enhancing the maneuverability of this vehicle. Because of this high degree of maneuverability, and because the wheels are made of fiberglass, the tread area is not much larger than a human's feet, so theoretically the Segway can reach most places a human can go, even including sidewalks or steps that don't have too big of a difference (although traffic regulations in some areas prohibit the Segway from driving in such places).
History
The Segway began life as a self-balancing power wheelchair, iBOT, developed by Dean Kamen's DEKA in collaboration with Independence Technology, a subsidiary of major U.S. medical device maker Johnson & Johnson. --Carmen observed the characteristics of human walking posture and realized that the reason why human beings can walk upright smoothly is that the sensitive balance organs in the body can accurately determine the amount of change in the center of gravity of the body, and through the immediate response of the cerebellum, then use the muscles of the legs to instantly exert force to balance the tilting posture. So when the human body leans forward, this involuntary reaction will prompt human beings to stretch out one of the feet to step forward to balance the body, so through this kind of leaning forward, stepping forward, leaning forward, stepping forward of the feet of the action cycle, that is, constitutes the "walking" this kind of action. So Kamen tried to use precision gyroscopes to replace the human vestibule and cochlea and other balance organs, and electric motors and wheels to replace the human feet, to develop the so-called "dynamic stabilization" concept, and by Jiao Sheng to obtain the patent of this technology in the field of medical commercial sales, to set up an independent technology to sell iBOT.
Different from a specialized medical device, the iBOT is not the same as a medical device, but it is the same as a medical device. p>Different from the high cost of power wheelchairs, which are exclusively for the disabled or infirm, Carmen further thought it would be a good idea to take the same concept to the average person with normal mobility, and so the concept of the Segway was born. On July 27, 1999, Carmen founded Acros LLC. with the main goal of using dynamic stabilization technology to develop and produce The main purpose was to use dynamic stabilization technology to develop and produce a highly efficient, zero-pollution means of transportation, and to begin developing a new product with the program code name "Ginger".
While news of the new transportation concept had been circulating for some time, but few knew the details, Carmen officially opened its doors on December 3, 2001, at a new development and manufacturing facility in Bedford, New Hampshire, and changed its name to Segway Corporation in November. Carmen officially unveiled a prototype of the Segway HT on Dec. 3, claiming it was the first transportation vehicle in human history capable of self-balancing.
The first pre-production Segway was launched in January 2002, and on February 15, the state of New Hampshire, where the company is based, passed a state bill allowing Segways to be operated on roadside sidewalks, and through Segway's lobbying efforts, 31 states in the U.S.*** passed legislation allowing EPAMDs to be operated on roadside sidewalks by the end of 2002***. The EPAMDs were allowed on sidewalks in 31 states in the U.S.*** by the end of 2002 through Segway's lobbying efforts.
The first actual mass-produced product, a Segway HT i167, serial number 022111000001, left the factory, and this monumental production vehicle, of course, naturally became part of Dean Kamen's personal collection. As innovative as the product was in its industrial concept, Segway also took a very different approach to sales, choosing Amazon.com, an American online bookstore, as their first distributor and opening the first three production cars on Amazon.com. Amazon.com as their first distributor, and opened up the first three mass-produced random cars for bidding in order to raise money to establish a non-profit foundation called For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), which encourages more people to get involved in creating and inventing. more people to get involved in creating and inventing. In the end, Segway HT cars #1, #2, and #3 sold for $160,100, $104,100, and $100,600, respectively.
On April 23, 2002, the city of Atlanta, Georgia, purchased a number of new vehicles from Segway, making the city the first official user of the new carrier, and many other official units of various classes followed. And on November 18, 2002, Segway officially launched a pre-order campaign on Amazon.com to begin actual mass-production sales to the general public.
On January 16, 2003, Keolis, a French private transportation company, signed an agreement with Segway to develop a program to use Segways as mass transit vehicles in France. In addition to setting up Segway rental service points at train stations and airports throughout France, the agreement also includes an innovative program called Station Oxygène, which is expected to establish a rental network of Segway convenience vehicles and other zero-pollution vehicles in major cities throughout France, allowing travelers to The program is expected to create a network of Segways and other zero-pollution vehicles for rent in major cities throughout France, allowing travelers to rent and return appropriate transportation on an hourly pricing basis to reduce air pollution in urban areas, and marking the first time that a Segway has been sold outside of the United States. The company's plan came to fruition in mid-2003, when the City of Dijon's Tourism Office was the first customer to begin offering Segways to tourists visiting the area as a means of touring the city. In addition, Segways can be rented as an alternative to walking in pedestrianized areas such as the Champs-Elysées and La Défense in Paris.
In February 2003, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the U.S. Department of Defense, contracted with Segway to convert 15 Segways into Robotic Mobility Platforms (RMPs). RMPs) to be used as a stable, inexpensive platform for the development of robotic systems by various research organizations. Shortly after, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), a division of the U.S. Navy located in San Diego, California, followed suit by purchasing 14 RMPs and distributing them to various government and university research units to serve as carriers for robotic research programs, which is an example of the Segway's practical application in military and technological development. This is an example of Segway's practical application in military and technological development.
On October 29, 2003, Segway entered into an agreement with Brookstone, a major U.S. housewares distributor, to become Segway's first nationwide brick-and-mortar sales network, in the hope of saving Segway from being limited to virtual sales via Internet mail-order in the early days of its launch (Segway originally expected the new vehicle to be on the market for the first time). (Segway had expected to sell 50,000 to 100,000 units within the first year of its launch, but they ended up selling only 6,000 units in 21 months.)
On October 11, 2004, Segway unveiled a four-wheeled version of the Segway Concept Centaur, the first four-wheeled Segway.
On November 16, 2004, a team of enthusiasts called America at 10 m.p.h. completed a transcontinental journey across the continent from Seattle to Boston, riding a Segway the entire way.
On March 1, 2005, Segway announced three new derivatives, including special-purpose versions of the Segway Cross-Terrain (XT) and Golf Transporter (GT).
Product Lineups
The Segway currently has three main product lineups***, HT, XT, and GT, but the Segway HT, which was the first to debut, has been subdivided into a variety of sizes, outputs, and applications depending on demand.
Segway HT
i Series: The standard Segway is a casual bike with a top speed of around 20km/h. The new generation is now available with an optional lithium-ion battery, which has a higher power storage capacity, bringing the range up to 38.6km.
p-series: The lightweight Segways are smaller in output than the i-series, but more compact and lighter in weight. In addition to maneuvering smoothly in tighter environments, they are small enough to fit in the trunks of most vehicles and can be carried around.
e-Series: The high-loading Segways are not only more heavily loaded, but are also designed with extra storage boxes on the body. A dedicated electronic parking kickstand allows the bike to remain in a standing position when not being operated by a rider.
Segway XT: The off-road Segway is not only faster than the HT, but also has rugged off-road tires that can handle all kinds of uneven ground. However, it has the disadvantage of not being able to be used on flat surfaces like sidewalks.
Segway GT: A golf course Segway with a longer range, higher underbody height, and an additional golf bag holder, emphasizing the same environmental friendliness as traditional electric golf carts, but with more flexibility.
Segway Concept Centaur: The Centaur is a two-passenger, four-wheeled version of Segway's concept car introduced in 2004, which looks very much like a traditional ATV, and does have off-road capabilities comparable to those of a regular beach bike. It does have off-road capability comparable to that of a regular beach bike, and a much faster speed than a regular Segway (nearly 40 km/h), but it still maintains the dynamic stabilization function that is absolutely indispensable for a Segway, so it can easily make a balanced position with the front wheels off the ground and the rear wheels standing on the ground, and it can also keep this position to rotate in place or accelerate forward and backward, as well as climbing up a large gap in the steps and other advanced maneuvers that a regular ATV cannot do. The Segway Centaur can also perform advanced maneuvers in this position, such as spinning in place, accelerating forward and backward, and climbing up steps with large drop-offs. The Segway Centaur is a brand new vehicle with a very promising overall performance, and its only drawback is that Segway has no intention of actually mass-producing it, so the average consumer can only look forward to it.
Segway RMP: Segway's Robotic Mobility Platform was originally developed for the needs of the U.S. military, but has since become available for commercial purchase as a base platform for further development into other mechanical products.
Promotional difficulties
While Segway's random vehicle was actually on the market before it was launched, the industry, academia, and the financial investment community all had high hopes for it as an epoch-making idea that could change the way human beings are transported, but after several years of real-world observation, people actually found that Segway didn't get the attention of consumers that they expected, and, in fact. In fact, Segway has had trouble even amortizing its initial investment in research and development.
The main difficulties with the Segway's rollout centered on price and regulatory issues. First of all, because of the extensive use of state-of-the-art technology to build random cars, the value of each new car is quite high. Even the most introductory p-series is priced at US$4,000 (see Amazon Segway online store, and the Segway p-series introduced in Taiwan is priced at NT$180,000, which is equivalent to the price of three 125cc motorcycles, not to mention the electric pedicabs that are half the price of a motorcycle), so if there are no breakthroughs in mass-production technology that can further reduce manufacturing costs, then in the short term, the Segway will be a major success. So if there's no breakthrough in mass-production technology to further reduce manufacturing costs, then in the short term the Segway will still have to maintain its awkward position of being affordable to high-income consumers.
The Segway's journey has also led to different perceptions in different regions about where a new product like the Segway, which has never existed on the road before, should be categorized as a mode of transportation. In the U.S., the Segway was originally classified as a low-output vehicle in the powered bicycle category, and therefore had to be used in standard slow-moving traffic lanes, rather than on sidewalks, which was the primary environment for which it was originally developed. Segway spent a great deal of effort lobbying state and international authorities to extend the range of the Segway's range to its intended use, but it also delayed the launch of the new product concept.
But in contrast to the U.S. situation, in some areas such as Taiwan, where the ability to drive on the road is determined by whether or not a motor vehicle has a license plate, the Segway cannot legally be used on the road because it does not belong to any class of powered vehicle. In order to solve this problem, a new vehicle classification system was implemented in July 2005 to include all electric mobility scooters with small and light motorcycles. However, will Segways, which can be driven on the driveway with a license plate, be disqualified from moving on the sidewalks at that time? That could be one of the biggest distractions causing the rollout of the new mobility device.
The final problem with the Segway's promotion was that it was such a new and unheard-of piece of technology that people who had never actually seen it had no way of knowing it existed -- even if they did want it, even if they were potential Segway customers. Therefore, in the first few years of Segway sales, most of the people who actually bought Segways were well-informed buyers who were not highly sensitive to new things and who liked to try new things. A tracking survey of owners once showed that most of the private buyers of Segways actually used them for recreational purposes, and only a limited number of them actually used them for commuting or other transportation, which conflicted with the hope that they would become a new mode of transportation when they were first developed. Moreover, recreational buyers lose interest in the product after a period of time, and the market can easily become saturated. Only by establishing its use as a specific mode of transportation will it be possible to ensure stable consumption of this type of product in the future. In order to solve this problem, Segway has chosen to cooperate with large department stores and hold on-site trial activities in various locations to make consumers aware of the existence of this new mode of transportation. As with many new energy or transportation concepts, such as alternative energy vehicles, hybrids, and the like, government agencies are often the largest users of these new technologies based on policy considerations, but can only provide limited consumer power, and Segway is currently confined to a similar predicament that requires more time and effort to reverse.