New Segway Exhibit at Epcot

Sean23

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
P1:
 

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Sean23

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I went to Epcot last night to see it, here is a close up of the wheels:
 

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orlpassholder

New Member
Ah man I swear I want one of those things soooooo BAD wonder if I can ride it hmmmmmmmm any Epcot CM's that reads this I will be there April 6th PM me if you can hook me up with a small demo I just want to expierence this. I wont give names locations or anything PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Never hurt to just ask

Heck I still wanna drive a monorail just for like 30-60 seconds just to say I did it
 

NowInc

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by orlpassholder
Ah man I swear I want one of those things soooooo BAD wonder if I can ride it hmmmmmmmm any Epcot CM's that reads this I will be there April 6th PM me if you can hook me up with a small demo I just want to expierence this. I wont give names locations or anything PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Never hurt to just ask

Heck I still wanna drive a monorail just for like 30-60 seconds just to say I did it

*And in the news today, A Mentally ill tourist over at the Walt Disney World Resort hijacked one of the monorails and drove it right off the track, killing all on board. He was said to have been heard screaming "I FINALLY DID IT!" as the train flew off into the ground*
 

orlpassholder

New Member
oh come on NOW how in gods name could I take one of those things off the track. I just wanna drive it on one of the long straight aways:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

orlpassholder

New Member
good chance I will be going saturday to the parks. I am working on trying to get out of the labs for awhile. IF I go I will post more photos of Segway IT
 

orlpassholder

New Member
here is the article the Orlando Sentinel ran about it

People have been walking for about 3 million years, and what do we have to show for it? Top speed remains 3 or 4 miles per hour, and there's still no cure for tired, aching feet.

However, a potentially better way of "walking" was unveiled Monday at Walt Disney World's Epcot Innoventions.

The gizmo, whose inventor sees it as the biggest step forward since people stopped dragging their knuckles, empowers pedestrians to move three times more rapidly than they could by shuffling along in sneakers or heels.

The Segway Human Transporter is a battery-powered, two-wheeled device that you ride standing up. It accelerates when you lean forward and stops when you lean back, thanks to a gyroscopic balancing system, says inventor Dean Kamen, a physicist and entrepreneur who also invented a portable kidney dialysis machine.

Meant to go virtually anywhere a person would want to go on foot, the Segway HT is being evaluated by the U.S. Postal Service, police departments, airlines, amusement parks and other businesses.

But its biggest use, says Kamen, could be in relieving congestion and automotive pollution in crowded city centers, where office workers could zip around in special HT traffic lanes.

"Through history, a big technological change in transportation brings a change in the way we see the world and define our neighborhood," says Kamen, whose invention has been featured on the cover of Time magazine and on late night TV talk shows.

"Ships enabled us to cross oceans and discover new continents. Railroads turned continents into countries. Interstate highways connect our cities. But covering that last mile on foot is still an issue."

Enter the Segway HT, which whizzes along at a top speed of 12.5 mph and can travel about 17 miles before its battery conks out. Recharging takes 3 to 4 hours.

The Segway's name is derived from the word "segue," meaning a smooth transition from one area to another. Test vehicles at Innoventions on Monday moved smoothly and silently on thick, inflatable tires, responding to the leanings of their drivers.

Consumer models are scheduled to go on sale for about $3,000 late this year. Industrial models, equipped with cargo bags and carts, are also in the works.

Reclaiming downtown areas from idling, exhaust-belching cars and enabling pedestrians to move about more freely and quickly are long-term goals.

"Once we get thousands of Human Transporters out there, we will see parked cars moved off streets and the creation of special HT lanes," Kamen says. "We can retake urban areas for pedestrians."

Despite Kamen's enthusiasm, the Segway HT has yet to demonstrate what impact it will have on lessening congestion. And there's a risk it's being oversold, says Kevin Wilson, executive editor of AutoWeek magazine.

"The in-house joke here is that you'll see a dozen parked outside a health club, because people were too lazy to walk," he says.

"Seriously, I don't think this thing is going to transform our transportation system. If parts of central cities are closed off to automotive traffic, it would certainly have a use. But I don't look for a mass migration from the suburbs into downtown or abandonment of cars and highways."

The device is under consideration for use at Disney World, although it's too early in the evaluation to determine how or when it might go into service, says Mike Gomes, director of Innoventions.

"In the spirit of imagining what's possible, we're looking at many ideas," he says. "For example, we could use it to deliver a key or package at one of our hotels, saving time for our operations people.

"We could create a new show around it or use it to transport cast members. But there's a lot of brainstorming and testing before anything would happen."

Chris Cobbs can be reached at ccobbs@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5447.


Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel


Here is the photo included in the article

Inventor Dean Kamen (right) leads the way for a demonstration of the Segway Human Transporter at Epcot on Monday.
(GEORGE SKENE/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

March 26, 2002
 

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Luau Cove

New Member
I think that if this IT is succesful, in the far future, people will ruin their lives by using it instead of walking. Over and over devices keep coming out to facilitate the man's work, but consequently the man loses vital characteristics.
There is a MAD article from the 50's, when the Magazine was about spooky stories that is called BLOBS, where people in the year 1,000,000 where midgets who sat in their wheelchairs and had everything they needes just by thinking, robots did all the work, but when a problem came they ceased.

-->Luau
 

orlpassholder

New Member
Article off Segways site

Innoventions at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort Is First to Display the Segway™ Human Transporter

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL, March 25, 2002 - Walt Disney World Resort and
Segway LLC today announced the opening of the first public display of the Segway™ Human Transporter (HT) at Innoventions at Epcot, the ever-changing theme park of discovery. Guests can now see this innovative short-distance transportation technology firsthand through a display inside of Innoventions, which will include interactive stations and daily demonstrations on how the product works.

In tandem with the Innoventions at Epcot exhibit opening today, Disneyland's Innoventions in Anaheim, Calif., will also open a Segway HT exhibit on April 3.

The Segway HT is the world's first self-balancing human transporter that allows people to go farther, move more quickly and increase the amount they can carry anywhere a person can walk. Its advanced technology uses gyroscopes and tilt sensors to emulate human balance. When a person leans slightly forward, the Segway HT moves forward. When leaning back, the Segway HT moves back. Riders can travel up to 12.5 mph with a distance that ranges 17 miles on a single charge.

"We're delighted to showcase this amazing personal transportation device to millions of Epcot guests," said Mike Gomes, director of Innoventions at Walt Disney World Resort. "Like much of the advanced technology displayed at Innoventions, the Segway HT is sure to inspire many of our guests as they envision the machine's potential to transform the world in which we live."

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway HT, added, "Epcot's Innoventions is the ideal arena for people to see the Segway HT up close and discover its possibilities. It's a place with the ability to drive your imagination to discover and experience true innovations."

Innoventions, Epcot's technology playground, allows guests to experience many of the breakthroughs in science and technology that have affected many of our lives. The Segway HT display adds to the advanced technology that is showcased every day at Innoventions.

About Innoventions

Located in the heart of Epcot, Innoventions continuously transforms itself to represent the ever-changing world of technology. Here, Disney celebrates the breakthroughs in science and technology that inspire us in the new millennium -- everything from exploratory medicine to personal global communications to the ultimate in home entertainment. At Innoventions, guests are entertained while they discover tomorrow's technology today through hands-on experiences that activate the imagination and renew our hope for a better tomorrow.

About Epcot

Epcot allows guests to travel to four continents, explore land and sea adventures, experience future technologies today and journey into their imagination—all in one vacation. Epcot is the celebration of human achievement and discovery.


About Segway

Segway LLC is a Manchester, NH, based business founded by renowned inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen to provide a solution to short-distance travel. The company has created the Segway™ Human Transporter (HT), the first self-balancing, electric-powered transporter designed to enhance the productivity of people by increasing the distance they can travel and the amount they can carry. Segway is funded by: Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity, one of the largest managers of alternative assets in the world, through Credit Suisse First Boston Equity Partners, L.P. and associated funds; Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, the leading venture capital firm helping entrepreneurs build sustainable technology businesses; and individual investors. For additional information about Segway, please visit our web site at: www.segway.com. Press releases and digital images are available at Segway's press center at: www.segway.com/news.
 

Camelot

Active Member
I saw this demonstrated on the Jay Leno show, by the inventor, and Jay and his guests Russell Crowe and Sting all played around with them, and looked like they were having a great time...Russell Crowe goofed off, as he wheeled around, saying "My sword, my sword!"
 

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