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Old 03-08-2013, 06:10 PM   #11
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A three wheel version of the Concept Centaur would put the word fun in three wheel fun mobility scooter! Fun, fast, and maneuverable would be attractive to a large market segment needing the stability and a seat.
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Old 03-09-2013, 12:28 AM   #12
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I'm thinking of some kind of a three wheel version of the "Controllable Launcher".
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Old 03-09-2013, 11:03 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by SegwayDan View Post
That sounds feasible, if the third wheel comes down behind at slow speeds for added stability and acts like a caster or outrigger to allow normal lean steer steering of the main wheels.
I'll point out that with a suitable suspension, it's possible to make a 3-wheeled device self-balancing as well. I have no idea if this is what Segway is doing. But you don't have to raise and lower the third wheel to get self-balancing. In fact, that would be somewhat tricky because you'd have to also shift the center of gravity to be somewhere to the rear of the front wheels, right as it got to the ground.
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Old 03-09-2013, 11:09 AM   #14
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I'll point out that with a suitable suspension, it's possible to make a 3-wheeled device self-balancing as well. I have no idea if this is what Segway is doing. But you don't have to raise and lower the third wheel to get self-balancing. In fact, that would be somewhat tricky because you'd have to also shift the center of gravity to be somewhere to the rear of the front wheels, right as it got to the ground.
Yeah, that makes sense. In any case, though, it seems to me that the third wheel would want to be an outrigger in the rear and a "caster" so as not to conflict with the Segway leansteer mechanism.


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Old 03-09-2013, 11:13 AM   #15
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Yeah, that makes sense. In any case, though, it seems to me that the third wheel would want to be an outrigger in the rear and a "caster" so as not to conflict with the Segway leansteer mechanism.
Leaving aside issues of cost and power, having it actively steered instead of castoring would give better control.

How much better, I don't know, but I suspect it might be substantial in bad conditions (very rough surface and rapid maneuvering).
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Old 03-09-2013, 01:04 PM   #16
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Leaving aside issues of cost and power, having it actively steered instead of castoring would give better control.

How much better, I don't know, but I suspect it might be substantial in bad conditions (very rough surface and rapid maneuvering).
I have to disagree with you on these last points of yours.

Three points of support for a *static* system is obviously the most stable. But in the case of the *dynamic* system of a three-wheeled transporter, there will be many lateral forces pushing the device over onto only two of the three wheels. If the rear wheel is used for steering, what happens to control when it gets pushed up into the air? Or what happens to steering control if one of the other wheels gets pushed up?

No, I'd say Segway wouldn't want to throw out the baby with the bath water and all of a sudden not incorporate its magical dynamic balancing system with at 3-wheeled transporter--in a similar way to the way it was kept with the Centaur. That's why I'm guessing that a third wheel would answer the need for greater stability for when the machine was traveling very slowly or stopped, in which case, it should "caster" and follow along with its two big brothers which have been doing all the Segway-style heavy lifting of propulsion and steering.
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Old 03-09-2013, 01:31 PM   #17
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Doesn't the "Q" scooter, and the "Rad-to-Go" have steering casters at the rear of the platform? I believe that the brakes are also on these smaller, rear mounted wheels.

I believe that the stance, maneuverability, and surely stability of those device are all far below the standards set by segway...

By stance, I mean the stability of simply being still, with a rider on the platform, on a slope. Surely, braking facing down on a slope is an adventure with this technology.

I can see how a caster, similar to those on a PUMA can be incorporated, yet not be part of the propulsion system.

There I go... I said I was not going to try and speculate, and now I am. I really do want to try not to...
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Old 03-09-2013, 02:16 PM   #18
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Bringing an open model P.U.M.A. Concept with mods into production or at least using the PUMA platform is logical speculation. The Mini PUMA. Hopefully, it will be a short speculation period and Segway releases a photo along with specifications soon.
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Old 03-09-2013, 02:24 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSagal View Post
Doesn't the "Q" scooter, and the "Rad-to-Go" have steering casters at the rear of the platform? I believe that the brakes are also on these smaller, rear mounted wheels.

I believe that the stance, maneuverability, and surely stability of those device are all far below the standards set by segway...

By stance, I mean the stability of simply being still, with a rider on the platform, on a slope. Surely, braking facing down on a slope is an adventure with this technology.

I can see how a caster, similar to those on a PUMA can be incorporated, yet not be part of the propulsion system.

There I go... I said I was not going to try and speculate, and now I am. I really do want to try not to...
That's OK, Karl. So far, this conversation has been quite even-handed and calm. I for one don't like to speculate, either. When I first heard about leansteer I was put off by my own assumption that foot pressure sensing would be the input for steering rather than the pivoting of the LSF.

With reference to a 3-wheel transporter, I'm trying to conceive of how Segway won't make another T3 with its inherent instability from a front-oriented steering wheel. It also "pains" me to see those T3s on "fail" videos tipping over like so many of us did on our own tricycles (and even Big Wheels which succeeded them) we had as kids.

The BHP Can-Am is a trike with two up front and a single drive wheel in the rear, which seems to be pretty stable. I test drove one and, though different, doesn't seem unstable at all.

But a Segway-esque 3-wheel transporter would have a very narrow stance with a substantial moment of inertia wanting to tip transporter and driver over. The 2-wheel PT we know handles this with dynamic balancing quite nicely. So why throw out that very workable system for the sake of three wheels? I say they'd want to *supplement* it with a third wheel serving a relatively minor role of slow speed/stopped stability, and would therefore want to be not much more than a caster/outrigger.

It could also "caster" and not get in the way when the machine was self- balancing going down a steep grade.
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Last edited by SegwayDan; 03-09-2013 at 02:31 PM..
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Old 03-09-2013, 03:58 PM   #20
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This video appears to be in line with this thread.





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