Segway on Dart

dubcommuter

Did anyone else see the Segway on the Dart on Saturday evening. It was around 7pm I think. I was in the first carriage and this guy got on with it at Landsdowne and got off on the Northside.

I had never seen one before, but they are very compact. He pulled if off the train and the the dart driver started chatting and then he took off up the ramp. Crazy to see it and no I was sober just in case anyone thinks I had one to many.

Anyone know or seen them in Ireland???

techmad

Must have been one of the guys from the Golf Show. I saw them there over the weekend. A friend said he saw one around town on the Thursday so that would have been before the Show had started as it opened on Thursday.

I was up on one - great fun, posted in the Comp / tech section to see if anyone knew about them. Found the website also - going to send them an email to see if they are doing anything in public again, will let you know

www.segway.ie

super_furry

It's the ultimate American invention for people who are too lazy to walk.

techmad

I think they are going after the commercial markets - security, medical, building management rather than pedestrians.

The guy I spoke with said that they would much rather see people walking and cycling but that most people don't even walk let alone cycle - they drive which is the real problem.

dubcommuter

So I wasn't mad. The pedestrian one is interesting, I commute using the dart and one thing I have noticed is that the carparks at stations are jammed by 7:30 - so I suppose we could ask why don't these people walk to the station??

Just looked at the site and had no ideas of the specifications of these things, there must be a serious amount of technology in them. I can see the use in airports, large buildings, shopping centres UCD, DCU, Trinity etc for security - that makes a lot of sense rather than a big jeep or something.

They thought the first car was a complete waste of time and now look at how dependent we are on them, not saying this is the same but at least they are compact and environmentally friendly. Would love to try one all the same.

BrianD

What a completely useless invention! The web site is a hoot. There's a photo of a guy sitting in a coffee bar (surfer type dude) with this thing sitting beside him. Trying to stop laughing at the moment ...

http://www.segway.ie/connect/

lostexpectation

black people can use segways too!

paulm17781

I wonder what one costs. I'm looking for a way to get fatter and this might just be it.

techmad

They mentioned this system also - iBot.

Have a look at it, that is amazing, I guess thats where the $100 million R&D went into developing the technology. Looks like there is a real application that restores a disabled persons dignity by allowing them to have an eye to eye conversation and give them independence.

As for the racist comment above - thats pathetic, what does that actually have to do with anything???

L5

techmad and dubcommuter, a pair of shills if ever ive seen them.

techmad

Shill - unfortunately not, just thought that the whole thing was interesting as I'd only seen them on the Simpsons and TV a few times in different adds.

I saw the IBot on a presentation that they were showing which had the history of the product, so I just Googled it - thought that peomple might like to see it. I guess thats what happens when you're new to forums and post innocently.

I thought shills usually posted loads and were established as veteran posters so that it looked like they had credibility unlike me. I think its interesting but thats only my opinion.

daymobrew

paulm17781 wrote:

I wonder what one costs. I'm looking for a way to get fatter and this might just be it.

$4000 from Segway Los Angeles (but £3200 in the UK :eek:
Max speed is 10mph. Max rider weight is 200 lbs.

Check out the Police/Security model. The guy in the photos could do with doing a bit of walking.

Dub13

daymobrew wrote:

Max speed is 10mph.

Sure what speed would you walk maybe 5mph...a big load of crap.

ps:its great saying Mph again,the old days were the best.Kids I even remember when we had no TV3.

paulm17781

daymobrew wrote:

$4000 from Segway Los Angeles (but £3200 in the UK :eek:
Max speed is 10mph. Max rider weight is .

So for a mere $4000 I can walk less and move slightly faster. :eek: I don't know why these aren't more common. :rolleyes: I can almost see why security and the like may use them but even with that I would say they are a complete waste unless you are extremely lazy.

Zaph0d

Is it meant for the road or the path? You would need insurance for it in Ireland, no? If you used it in Dublin, do you think you'd be mugged for it?

techmad

Knowing the Ireland governement they'll want VRT and road tax. I looked at the .com site and here are the specs on the bigger ones. Link below

Max speed - 20kmh (13.5mph) and max range 40km (24 Miles)

Link

Asok

techmad and dubcommuter ... want to explain to me why you both posted from the same ip in post 1 & 2 of this thread ..answers here or in a friendly pm please

techmad

OK - we're sad gits, I'm in college and dubcommuter works in town. I was at the Golf show and saw them and then dub... saw one on the Dart that evening. We rent the same place and have a common PC. I couldn't believe they took one on the Dart so we thought we'd try to create a negative reaction.

So apologises to all - thought it would be a laugh but I see now it was fairly stupid. The machines are cool and we thought that it be good to make a bit of fun of them. Call it begrudgery or stupidity or both.

Anyway sorry to all - Bar us at will

Capt'n Midnight

The roads have too many potholes to use even if legal. And we have a long way to go in the provision of ramps for wheel chair users on public paths.

$100 million R&D ??

http://www.teamhassenplug.org/robots/legway

dowlingm

are segways street-legal (so to speak) in Ireland? They aren't over here AFAIK.

daymobrew

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

The roads have too many potholes to use even if legal. And we have a long way to go in the provision of ramps for wheel chair users on public paths.

You could use the Cross-Terrain model for mounting footpaths though it is not intended for sidewalk use.
I think that Segways are only for use on footpaths.

Gob rode a Segway in Arrested Development, that excellent, underappreciated comedy.

Victor

techmad wrote:

Bar us at will

Banned.

stevieg_irl

dowlingm wrote:

are segways street-legal (so to speak) in Ireland? They aren't over here AFAIK.

not if u lower it and pump nitrious in it:D

lostexpectation

techmad wrote:

They mentioned this system also - iBot.

Have a look at it, that is amazing, I guess thats where the $100 million R&D went into developing the technology. Looks like there is a real application that restores a disabled persons dignity by allowing them to have an eye to eye conversation and give them independence.

As for the racist comment above - thats pathetic, what does that actually have to do with anything???

look at the site www.segway.ie

i was mocking the archetypal marketing funky black man!

i apoligies if any funky people took offence

BrianD

I look forward to seeing the Gardai using the Segway i180! I think they would greatly enhance the 'police officer visibility' during the likes of Operation Anvil. I reckon if you disabled the speed limiter you could use them to interdict stolen cars, bank robbers etc. Ideal for the traffic corp during Freeflow at Xmas.

antoinolachtnai

they are an interesting piece of technology. It's actually not that complicated to build one. It's a matter of a feedback loop between the gyros and the motors. All the research goes into getting the safety certifications for it, obviously if something were to go wrong with the feedback loop, the gyro or the , there could be a serious accident.

There's a wheelchair based on the same technology, which has four motorized wheels and which can go up and down stairs. Now that is impressive to see.

cotwold

dubcommuter wrote:

Did anyone else see the Segway on the Dart on Saturday evening. It was around 7pm I think. I was in the first carriage and this guy got on with it at Landsdowne and got off on the Northside.

I had never seen one before, but they are very compact. He pulled if off the train and the the dart driver started chatting and then he took off up the ramp. Crazy to see it and no I was sober just in case anyone thinks I had one to many.

Anyone know or seen them in Ireland???

Ive seem them around loads in america but never in ireland before.

Stimpyone

I reckon this would be more fun

http://www.gearbits.com/archives/000336.html

Capt'n Midnight

Stimpyone wrote:

I reckon this would be more fun

http://www.gearbits.com/archives/000336.html

Excep t this one is uses an off centre wheel !

spacetweek

daymobrew wrote:

Gob rode a Segway in Arrested Development, that excellent, underappreciated comedy.

Yay, I found another fan!!

MorningStar

I saw on a show where they had a motorcycle race agasint a Segway around a city and the segway won a few of the destinations and only slightly slower than the the bike. They didn't use a car becasue the city was so congested they knew the car would loose. I have seen better I ideas but for hospitals,airports etc.. they may have a use

There is guy on my road that drives to the Dart station which is 25 minute walk but only 5 -10 minutes cycling. The DART car park is at least 5 minute walk from the station. He also goes to the gym everyday which he drives too which is also an easier cycle than drive. Some people have to use their cars no matter what and never consider excercise.