Bigger than the internet!
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There are all kinds of applications... (That is, unless you think that remote controls are also a technology looking for an application -- you can still get up and walk to the device to push the buttons there.) One very good application is for people like my father in law. He enjoys going to the store regulary, and it's about 10 blocks away. However, his driving is sort of scary. (I think he's afraid of his own driving, too...) Also, he's elderly and not in such great shape, so the walk isn't easy for him. One of these devices would just thrill him -- he'd probably take a couple trips a day if he had one of these. I could think of several more useful applications. One of those that apply to me would be saving 1/3 of the time running quick errands without wasting time and gas on the car. John
John Fisher wrote: you can still get up and walk to the device to push the buttons there.) My dad had me as a remote control when I was younger (our TV did not have a remote control, in fact it had one channel and we did not have a VCR, woe was I ;) ). Does that make me a technology looking for an application? hehe. John Fisher wrote: One very good application is for people like my father in law. He enjoys going to the store regulary, and it's about 10 blocks away. Cool, good for your father-in-law. Does he have $3000 to blow? I don't think though that elderly folks are going to be enough to make Segway a de facto transportation standard, or the revolution it claims to be. John Fisher wrote: saving 1/3 of the time running quick errands without wasting time and gas on the car. Why don't you buy a scooter? They are FAR cheaper, go faster, go further, can carry parcels and are damned cheap to run (my scooter costs $2.8 a week to run). You can also take a friend along if you need to. Do that on a Segway. I think the technology of the Segway is very good but the Seway itself is a bit of a lost cause, especially here in South Africa were on average trips are about 20 kilometres. What other applications can you think of for the Segway? The website has some really daft ideas. Imagine a cop on a Segway chasing an armed criminal down the street? :rolleyes: regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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Actually I think its cool.... from a pure technical point of view. It's not that easy getting something like this to balance on two wheels. Try designing a simple PI(D) regulator that can balance a stick on one end :eek: Would I buy one? Not likely. .H
HenrikHusted wrote: Actually I think its cool.... from a pure technical point of view Spoken like a true techy :-D HenrikHusted wrote: Would I buy one? Not likely. Exactly... regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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simons wrote: Is that the *thing* that was called "Ginger"? Unfortuanatley, yes. simons wrote: You mean like my finding a quicker way to get to the server room/bar? Imagine paying $3000 for a quicker way to get to the server room/bar? What a farce! regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
Paul Watson wrote: Imagine paying $3000 for a quicker way to get to the server room/bar? What a farce! hehe ... You're right, I'M NO CABLE MONKEY! and that's what TSAC/term. srv. was "invented" for. Thanks Paul, you just saved me $3000 (or +- R1bn) :omg: and that means extra beer. Simon "...Bill is watching..."
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Oh yeah, my life is changed. Now I can take my Segway from my house to work... oh wait it is further than 11 miles and I will get killed on the road to work because I am only doing 12mph... But wait! All I have to do is lean and it goes, wOOt! Maybe I will buy my future kid one for his birthday and he can potter around the backyard... Sorry for being cynical but I was expecting a lot more than this from the whole Ginger (IT) hype. A workable Sterling engine would have been great, especially hydrogen powered. I feel sorry for the inventor though. The poor guy often said "people, stop getting so excited, you are overhyping this". Instead a whole bunch of media manglers pumped everyones expectations up past comprehension. Blah, I wanted it to be the teleportation machine actually :-D regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
Paul Watson wrote: But wait! All I have to do is lean and it goes, wOOt! According to CNN (I don't sleep), the inventor of this *thing* says that all you have to do is *think* about going forward/stopping/turning and the *miracle machine* will *sense* what direction you want to go in. Supposedly, if you think about going eg: forward your body will learn in that direction -- obviously really slightly. Not too sure how accurate his BS is... Simon "...Bill says: sarcasm is hereditary..."
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Anyone seen the 'Segway' yet (formerly known as 'It') ? I know I'm really excited. X| "But, daddy, that was back in the hippie ages..." My twelve year old son - winning the argument. "Stan, you are an intelligent guy who responds in meaningful ways" Paul Watson 16/10/01
I was just thinking.... The Segway costs $3000. $3000 is a lot of money. In fact that is about R30 000 (thirty thousand rand). I can buy a car for that amount. A full sized frikking car with a boot, space for four people, a roof, does 180kph, range of 600 k's, cup holder, stereo and nice comfy seats. Sure it costs more to run but then I could buy about 3 scooters for $3000. Each doing up to 120kph, 300 k range, space for two people and some parcels. Park pretty much anywhere and knife through traffic like a good idea through hot-segway. Plus it would cost about R30 ($2.8) a week to run, hardly expensive. I could rent out the other two scooters and make some money, paying for my scooter. *scratches my head* I think either we are all missing something amazing about the Segway (maybe it has a button which makes it fly?) or the people who made it are missing something pretty big... :confused: regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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Paul Watson wrote: But wait! All I have to do is lean and it goes, wOOt! According to CNN (I don't sleep), the inventor of this *thing* says that all you have to do is *think* about going forward/stopping/turning and the *miracle machine* will *sense* what direction you want to go in. Supposedly, if you think about going eg: forward your body will learn in that direction -- obviously really slightly. Not too sure how accurate his BS is... Simon "...Bill says: sarcasm is hereditary..."
simons wrote: Supposedly, if you think about going eg: forward your body will learn in that direction -- obviously really slightly Yeah I think they have misquoted or exagerated the whole "think and move" thing. Basically if you want to go forward you tilt your head forward, which changes your center of gravity which the Segway detects. Maybe if it REALLY read my mind I would be impressed... regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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simons wrote: Supposedly, if you think about going eg: forward your body will learn in that direction -- obviously really slightly Yeah I think they have misquoted or exagerated the whole "think and move" thing. Basically if you want to go forward you tilt your head forward, which changes your center of gravity which the Segway detects. Maybe if it REALLY read my mind I would be impressed... regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
Check out: http://www.timecanada.com/story.adp?storyid=11&part=1 for a step-by-step look at Ginger the Moped. Any ideas on the difference btwn an engine and a motor? Segway-thing has got one and not the other :confused: Simon "...Bill is watching..."
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Check out: http://www.timecanada.com/story.adp?storyid=11&part=1 for a step-by-step look at Ginger the Moped. Any ideas on the difference btwn an engine and a motor? Segway-thing has got one and not the other :confused: Simon "...Bill is watching..."
Good article btw, thanks. Well before I checked Dictionary.com for the difference between a motor and an engine I thought this. An engine is something which converts a fuel (petrol, gas, hydrogen etc.) into kinetic energy. So a gas burning car would have an engine, so would an aeroplane. A motor to me is basically the same but normally used when talking about something which converts electrical energy into kinetic energy. I have always used it like that. Also motor can be used for things like motor neuron disease... but then of course we say "that search engine is great". So I think it has become a bit blurred and confused. Dictionary.com says: mo·tor (mtr) n. Something, such as a machine or an engine, that produces or imparts motion. A device that converts any form of energy into mechanical energy, especially an internal-combustion engine or an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power. A motor vehicle, especially an automobile: “It was a night of lovers. All along the highway... motors were parked and dim figures were clasped in revery” (Sinclair Lewis). en·gine (njn) n. A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion. Such a machine distinguished from an electric, spring-driven, or hydraulic motor by its use of a fuel. A mechanical appliance, instrument, or tool: engines of war. An agent, instrument, or means of accomplishment. A locomotive. A fire engine. Computer Science. A search engine. I would say the Segway has a motor, not an engine. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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Anyone seen the 'Segway' yet (formerly known as 'It') ? I know I'm really excited. X| "But, daddy, that was back in the hippie ages..." My twelve year old son - winning the argument. "Stan, you are an intelligent guy who responds in meaningful ways" Paul Watson 16/10/01
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simons wrote: Supposedly, if you think about going eg: forward your body will learn in that direction -- obviously really slightly Yeah I think they have misquoted or exagerated the whole "think and move" thing. Basically if you want to go forward you tilt your head forward, which changes your center of gravity which the Segway detects. Maybe if it REALLY read my mind I would be impressed... regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront "The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
Its all hype when they use exciting blurb like, "Think forwards and you go in that direction". Its the wow factor that'll have many people reaching for their cheque books and believe you me there are a lot of people with more money than sense in this world. The segway is innovative though, I give it a thumbs up for that but I very much doubt it will succeed in terms of practicality.