Although the site doesn’t provide step-by-step build instructions, it does provide enough nitty-gritty to get any motivated maker into gear to assemble their own two wheel balancing scooter. I suspect riding around on a homemade scooter will earn you way more geek cred than riding around on its expensive commercial cousin.

Before you run off to make one of these things for yourself, though, you should read this warning from the creator of this balancing scooter:

The commercial one has a lot of safety features, redundancy and fool-proofing. Mine has none whatsoever (Well, it does have a kill switch so it doesn’t go zooming away if I fall off, and it does shut down if it finds itself tipped more than 45 degrees.) Those details are kind of important, and you should think about them carefully before considering building such a thing yourself.

And if you think two wheels are for sissies, be sure to check out the DIY electric unicycle! “You lean forward to accelerate, lean backwards to brake, and gyrate your arms wildly to turn.” Perfect!

The Legway is like a Universe Cycle (whatever that means) with a handlebar. I haven’t ridden one, and I don’t particularly want to (this type of thing was never my bag — I’m a bike guy), but it looks like a fun project if you wanted to put together something crazy for your kid.

I like that the maker has a “collection of dangerous toys” for his kids. That’s amazing.

Here’s a quick video I took on my BlackBerry of the PUMA in action. To recap – the PUMA is a two-wheeled Segway that can drive up to 35 miles on a single charge (35 cents per charge) and is capable of going up to 35MPH. Oh, I just overheard one of the higher ups say that PUMA will have a beefed up suspension to handle rough terrain like NYC’s pothole riddled streets. Check back later for a video of our very own test drive. I fear for my life. Heh.

It was a bit windy earlier so you might want to turn down your speakers. The second video has some commentary from the Segway rep, though.

And here’s the official video from Segway.

Oh, and a gallery!

Well, I’m at the IAC building on the West Side of Manhattan, but GM already announced Project PUMA and I feel stupid for having trekked all this way for it.

10:17 AM – And here we go.

10:20 AM – GM and Segway have been working on PUMA for the last 18 months.
10:21 AM – Battery operated, capable of going 35MPH up to 35 miles on a single charge.
10:27 AM – The CEO of GM just mentioned Facebook and social networking. PUMA can detect if pedestrians are too close and stops so you don’t hit them!
10:31 AM – And we’re out. Here are some concepts for PUMA.
11:27 AM – We’ll be going for a test drive in a few minutes. Check back later for video of me riding in one of these badboys.

UPDATE: Check out our test drive…

General Motors and Segway have teamed up on Project PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), a two-wheeled city vehicle capable of reaching speeds up to 35 miles per hour, and going 35 miles on a single charge at a cost of 35 cents per charge.

Aside from the promise of nimble, inexpensive transportation, the press release says, “The vehicle also enables design creativity, fashion, fun and social networking.” Ah yes, social networking: the ultimate feature to distract the driver of a rotor-less personal street helicopter with two wheels and no doors.

Although the details of the vehicle’s connectedness haven’t been fully revealed, it’s been indicated that the PUMA will leverage GM’s OnStar system to relay the locations of your friends and family who happen to be tooling around town in their own PUMAs at the same time as you.

As for the vehicle itself:

“It combines several technologies demonstrated by GM and Segway, including electric drive and batteries; dynamic stabilization (two-wheel balancing); all-electronic acceleration, steering and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and autonomous driving and parking. Those technologies integrate in Project P.U.M.A. to increase mobility freedom, while also enabling energy efficiency, zero emissions, enhanced safety, seamless connectivity and reduced congestion in cities.”

This is actually not a terrible idea for people living in cramped cities provided that the price is right and it can be driven in the winter. A rendered image shows an all-enclosed version (see below) but there’s no telling if those wheels will be able to handle snow, ice, and slush. Pricing hasn’t been revealed, either, although it’s promised to be “one-fourth to one-third the cost of what you pay to own and operate today’s automobile.”

The press release also indicates that the PUMA is “built to carry two or more pasengers.” Yes, two or more, so perhaps there will either be bigger versions or GM and Segway are giving you the green light to bring your baby along for the ride.

No word on an availability date yet, but more details will emerge when the PUMA is shown at the New York Auto Show this week.

Full press release:

GM and Segway Join Forces to Reinvent Urban Transportation

NEW YORK – General Motors Corp. and Segway today demonstrated a new type of vehicle that could change the way we move around in cities.

Dubbed Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), GM and Segway are developing an electrically powered, two-seat prototype vehicle that has only two wheels. It could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly – and at a lower total cost. The vehicle also enables design creativity, fashion, fun and social networking.

GM and Segway announced their collaboration, while demonstrating the Project P.U.M.A. prototype in New York City this morning.

“Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect those vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park and connect to their social and business networks.”

Trends indicate that urbanization is growing, and with that comes increased congestion and more competition for parking. Cities around the world are actively looking for solutions to alleviate congestion and pollution. Project P.U.M.A. addresses those concerns. It combines several technologies demonstrated by GM and Segway, including electric drive and batteries; dynamic stabilization (two-wheel balancing); all-electronic acceleration, steering and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and autonomous driving and parking. Those technologies integrate in Project P.U.M.A. to increase mobility freedom, while also enabling energy efficiency, zero emissions, enhanced safety, seamless connectivity and reduced congestion in cities.

“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” said Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. “There’s an emotional connection you get when using Segway products. The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment, and others.”

Project P.U.M.A. vehicles will also allow designers to create new fashion trends for cars, and to focus on the passion and emotion that people express through their vehicles while creating solutions that anticipate the future needs of urban customers.

The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle integrates a lithium-ion battery, digital smart energy management, two-wheel balancing, dual electric wheel motors, and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity. The result is an advanced and functional concept that demonstrates the capabilities of technology that exists today.

Built to carry two or more passengers, it can travel at speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph), with a range up to 35 miles (56 km) between recharges.

Since the introduction of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT), Segway has established itself as the leader in the small electric vehicle space. Its approach to congestion and environmental challenges is balanced with a strong understanding of the functional needs of its customers, enabling them to do more with less. Segway has delivered more than 60,000 lithium-ion batteries to the market.

GM has been a leader in “connected vehicle” technologies since it introduced OnStar in 1996. Today, this on-board communications package connects six million subscribers in North America to OnStar safety and security services. GM has also pioneered vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications systems and transponder technology. These and additional connected vehicle technologies could ultimately enable vehicles that don’t crash and drive themselves.

“Imagine moving about cities in a vehicle fashioned to your taste, that’s fun to drive and ride in, that safely takes you where you want to go, and “connects” you to friends and family, while using clean, renewable energy, producing zero vehicle tailpipe emissions, and without the stress of traffic jams,” said Burns. “And imagine doing this for one-fourth to one-third the cost of what you pay to own and operate today’s automobile. This is what Project P.U.M.A. is capable of delivering.”

[via AutoBlog]

There are some exceptions, but usually any vehicle that comes from America has a hard time in Japan. Just ask Ford or General Motors. Normally, the Japanese just love their own brands. But now Segway’s Japanese subsidiary [JP] achieved an agreement with the city of Yokohama, which might pave the way for a lot more Segways in the world’s second biggest economy.

Segway Japan and the city of Yokohama will jointly try to convince the Japanese government to allow people to use Segways on designated public roads in the city. With a population of 3.6 million, Yokohama is Japan’s second biggest city.

The move is highly unusual, but can explained by Yokohama’s efforts to boost the local economy and promote the use of environmentally friendly vehicles in the city. Japan’s road traffic law currently proscribes the use of Segways or Segway-like vehicles (such as Toyota’s Winglet). However, Segway has sold about 1,000 vehicles so far in Japan, where they are used in exhibition centers and similar public facilities.

The average price for a Segway in Japan is $10,000 (the picture above shows former Prime Minister Koizumi riding one, which was given to him as a present in 2005 by then president Bush).

This odd Segway-like carrier is called the Cajun Crawler. It’s a belegged walking system made by students at the University of Louisiana. Created by Don Tamosaitis, the system was a senior design project and uses 18V drill motors and can support heavy loads – one rider was 325 pounds.

It cost $1,200 to build and is considerably more impressive than anything I’ve ever build in college, I gay-roon-tee!

What won’t this country of maniacs think of?

via Giz

Segway by itself? Dumb. Segway with lots of big tires? Dumber. This monster BigFoot Segway has six full-sized tires and can barely turn but just think of how many cars you could crush if you could make this thing go over anything higher than a four inch curb.

Just like its American counterpart, the Winglet (odd name) is ridden in a standing position. You will be able to move forward or backward or take turns by shifting your body weight.  Three versions will be available: S (1.5 feet tall), M (2.2 feet) and L (3.7-feet). The S-Model weighs 9.9kg, while the M and L versions will be a little heavier at 12.3kg.

A full charge takes just one hour, enough for a driving range of 5km for the mini-Winglet and 10km for the bigger models. The maximum cruising speed is 6km for all Winglet versions.

Segway doesn’t have much time to react to Toyota’s new vehicle. The Japanese mega-company scheduled the start of production at 2010. Consumer testing will begin as early as this fall, in a marine resort complex in Aichi prefecture (central Japan) and at Nagoya airport. Prices and availability are unknown at this point.

Full press release in English after the jump.

Toyota Develops Personal Transport Assistance Robot ‘Winglet’
Aug 1, 2008 Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today development of the “Winglet”, a personal transport assistance robot ridden in a standing position.

The Winglet—still being refined—is one of TMC’s people-assisting Toyota Partner Robots.  Designed to contribute to society by helping people enjoy a safe and fully mobile life, the Winglet is a compact next-generation everyday transport tool that offers advanced ease of use and expands the user’s range of mobility.

The Winglet consists of a body (with a projected area the size of an A3 sheet of paper) that houses an electric motor, two wheels and internal sensors that constantly monitor the user’s position and make adjustments in power to ensure stability.  Meanwhile, a unique parallel link mechanism allows the rider to go forward, backward and turn simply by shifting body weight, making the vehicle safe and useful even in tight spaces or crowded environments.

TMC has created three models, the “L”, “M” and “S”, each having different handling features that allow consumers to select a model appropriate to their needs—from “practical” to “hands-free sporty”.

TMC plans various technical and consumer trials to gain feedback during the Winglet’s lead-up to practical use.  Practical tests of its utility as a mobility tool are planned to begin in Autumn 2008 at Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) near Nagoya, and Laguna Gamagori, a seaside marine resort complex in Aichi Prefecture.  Testing of its usefulness in crowded and other conditions, and how non-users react to the device, is to be carried out in 2009 at the Tressa Yokohama shopping complex in Yokohama City.

TMC is pursuing sustainability in research and development, manufacturing and social contribution as part of its concept to realize “sustainability in three areas” and to help contribute to the health and comfort of future society.  Toyota Partner Robot development is being carried out with this in mind and applies TMC’s approach to monozukuri (”making things”), which includes its mobility, production and other technologies.  In a related development, TMC unveiled the “MOBIRO” mobility robot, designed for use in a sitting position, in 2007.

TMC aims to realize the practical use of Toyota Partner Robots in the early 2010s by furthering its robotic development and strengthening collaboration between industry, government and academia.

The Segway, seen here in all its inelegance, was a milestone in something or other. All the more reason, then, to applaud the company’s CTO for accepting a position at Apple. Doug Field, if we’re to believe random posts on a Segway message board, will become Apple vice president of product design.

When the Segway was first introduced, it was universally teased for being, among other things, laughably silly looking. (That’s how I remember it, at least.) Steve Jobs, iLounge reminds us, was one of the many to have a problem with the device.

Let’s all roll our eyes together, in unison.

via iLounge

Did anyone know that Jackie Chan is the owner of a Segway dealership in Hong Kong? Me either. The action superstar is hoping that Segway will allow the scooters to be assembled in China to help drive down the costs, which would in turn drive sales. The Segway currently retails for $10,000 in China and that’s double what we here in the US would pay. However, Segway doesn’t want any part in it because they fear someone will steal the technology and start making knockoffs.

“They’re afraid of people stealing the technology,” the 54-year-old action star said Wednesday at a security fair in Hong Kong.

Chan and his business partner, Matt McGuire, hope to sell between 600 and 1,000 units this year in China. If you’re going to the Olympics this summer you’ll probably see staffers cruising around the venues.

Sadly, this odd platform wasn’t working today due to firmware problems. However, as you can see from the video, it’s basically a moving platform that can move in any direction without turning. You can basically turn at a 90 degree angle while moving forward and the thing runs as if it were on rails.

It’s a Segway prototype right now and can be embedded in almost any configuration, including this odd table thing that never falls over. The devices move so smoothly it’s eerie.

Ferrari is really starting to cause me agony. It’s one of my favorite supercar brands, but they’re ruining it by putting that horse on everything. Here it is on a Segway scooter. Yes, one of those Segway scooters.

It’s not much different than an ordinary Segway, other than it’s Ferrari-red and has the Scuderia logo. Oh, and the handlebars are wrapped in leather. Lux!

Is it faster than other Segways? No. Is it more expensive? Yes. If that’s what you’re into, I’ve got a special edition Kia iBook you should consider.

Limited Edition Ferrari Segway PT i2 [Sybarbites]

The truth is, the current state of electronics is bad. Like Gillette throwing 15 blades on a razor, the electronics industry is guilty of a failure to innovate. If you don’t believe me, answer this: When is the last time you acquired an electronic device that truly changed your life for the better? Something that makes your day-to-day easier and you wouldn’t want to live without? The last thing I can think of, and not doubt the decision, is the iPod. It was a game-changing device, one responsible for putting the digital audio market on the map and making the world a better (and more musical) place. But even considering its cred, it too is has failed to add anything truly unique in years. It’s smaller and it holds more (yay), but it still does the same stuff it did in the beginning with the exception of having a tiny color screen that can play video (double yay).

But again, I challenge you to name a bit of gear that truly changed the world. Anyone remember the Segway? That transportation device that was supposed to redefine the way people moved about. It was the greatest invention of the 20th century, a solution to all of our problems — at least that’s what “they” told us. In reality, the only thing brilliant about the Segway is how brilliantly poor its acceptance has been. To date, its use has been widely restricted. It’s not really safe for streets, it’s banned on most sidewalks and the UK has all but declared it illegal. And that’s not even considering the fact that it only goes 12mph, making it only about as fast as a brisk run.

Worse than the Segway debacle are cell phones. They are often guiltiest when it comes to useless features and little innovation. With the exception of the Helio Ocean, most of the phones I’ve examined in recent months are dubious in their usefulness. They all have tons of features, but they don’t do any of those things particularly well. Using the personal planner function on nearly any device is an exercise in futility. Mainly because a notebook and pencil carries more utility and simplicity than any electronic device poised against it. I still log my schedule in a Moleskine and I don’t know of any options capable of usurping its efficiency. It costs about $10 per year, the battery never runs out, no clunky screens to sift through before making a notation and, most importantly, it feels good to handwrite things once in awhile (if only so that you don’t forget how).

The reason the Ocean is a great device is because it has focus and separation. What it does, it does well. The device isn’t bloated with all sorts of useless noise, it serves deliberate functions with easily discernible uses. The division of phone and media device is particularly effective. I speak for everyone, but when I want to make a call, I have no patience to flick through multiple screens — I just want to mash a couple of buttons and connect with the other end. Furthermore, Helio has truly innovated by putting GPS in all of its devices. The beauty of its inclusion is that GPS makes sense. It makes ones life universally easier. I can’t even begin to count the number of times it’s set me on the right path while hopelessly lost in New York.

I know this all flies in the face of being gearheads, and early adopters, but there comes a point when enough is enough. We have to demand more from manufacturers before handing over our hard earned dollars and cents. Because we’re techies, not sheep, we’re supposed to have more sense than the other 98-percent. That’s why we make more money than the douche bag high school quarterback. It’s why we’re in the corner offices, while that girl you had a crush on in 10th grade now has three kids, has been divorced twice and still lives with her parents. We’re geeks, so have some self-respect, dammit. Demand ingenuity like your lives depend on it, because if you really think about it, it does.

Image from Livejournal

Love it or hate it, the Segway does allow you to move a bit quicker than the average human. So it makes perfect sense why law enforcement and college campuses across the nation have chosen the Segway as the security personnel carrier of choice. Last Thursday however, the Segway received instant respect from the Long Beach Police Force.

Officer Jose Miguez was patrolling the streets on his Segway when he saw a group of teenagers driving a Mercedes-Benz out of a Burger King. Suspicious and standing 9-inches higher than normal, Miguez wheeled over to investigate and discovered one of the youth wearing a black leather glove. The teens floored it when confronted and Miguez pursued the thieves on his Segway. Two blocks later, they ditched the car and were later apprehended thanks to both Officer Miguez and his Segway. So the next time you get caught by campus security for underage drinking, don’t even think about trying to run.

Long Beach cops boast first Segway-borne bust [The Register]

Thanks to uber-commenter sacherjj for writing a little ditty to go along with the above image. Click through to read the entire comment.

White and Lazy

You see me walkin’
My baby
I know they’re all thinkin’ I’m so white and lazy,
Think I’m just too white and lazy
Think I’m just too white and lazy
Can’t you see I’m white and lazy?
Look at me, I’m white and lazyy
I wanna roll with
My segway
But so far they all think I’m too white and lazy
Think I’m just too white and lazy
Think I’m just too white and lazy
I’m just too white and lazy.
Really really white and lazy.

Time, Place, Event: Segway’s Sign of the Times