U.S. considers turning scooters into war robots

Associated Press ^ | Dec 1 2003 | Associated Press

[RightWhale]

Armor the thing, put a bomb on it, and send it into the enemy's trenches or HQ. Without the control shaft sticking up, it would be hard to spot. The Army will enjoy experimenting with this.

[new cruelty]

Stop being silly.

[new cruelty]

I agree, the segway as a product is goofy, but the concept will yield many cool uses.

To answer your question: Why would someone waste five grand on a Segway when they could take the subway to work and buy an old car for the 5g's?

I can only imagine the reason, but I suspect it is because some people are willing to spend any amount of money to be a part of something new and different be it a cell phone-pda, a plasma tv, or a segway.

[new cruelty]

Those two things could be done just as well on 3 or 4 wheels with a lot less electronics and moving parts needed to balance on 2.

Yikes, just imagine the fuse you may blow if it had only 1 big wheel.

[xrp]

Terminator style cybernetic soldiers is the eventual way that the USA military will go.

[Ramius]

I agree. Since these things came out I've thought it was a really ingenious little gizmo. Beats walking, yet doesn't interfere on a sidewalk with people that are.

I remain a little amazed at the luddites here on FR that will poopoo any new idea before they try it.

I'm still considering whether to get one myself. I have an apartment that is only about four miles from my office. It's farther than I would want to walk, but even in that short distance the city traffic and parking is a hassle. On a Segway though, it would a pretty quick trip.

[firebrand]

You're kidding! I saw one in exactly the same place maybe: West 43rd Street?

These things will kill the enemy quickly; they'll die laughing.

[lonevoice]

You've got the right idea. I have a friend that has a Segway and it has changed her life. She has a lung disease similar to emphysema. She has full mobility, but can only walk very short distances without losing her breath. She's almost incapable of going up even short inclines. She hated using an electric scooter in airports, grocery stores, shopping malls, etc. because they're so slow. Plus, she always felt that people were quietly muttering and rolling their eyes when they got stuck behind her or had to move out of her way in crowds. The Segway is about as wide as an average person at the shoulders, lets the rider stand eye-to-eye with the rest of the world, and lets her get around just as fast or faster than her companions. My friend now enjoys going to theme parks, local paved hiking trails, and on outings with friends and family that weren't possible before.

I wish these would become more affordable. They really do offer a vast benefit to some populations.

[RonF]

By the way, those that knock Segway, go ahead and try it. You can get around faster that walking, and you're neither threatening to pedestrians nor threatened by vehicles -- unlike a bicycle.

I'm imagining trying to use one of these devices in Chicago in December through February with chunks of ice in the gutter, piles of snow, etc. I've seen the pictures of someone negotiating an inch or so of un-trammeled snow on a relatively level lawn. Wait until it's been salted and churned into frozen slush with 4 inch deep footprints locked into it, etc.