Developing the Segway into the next decennium

[mryang]

Can we confirm that there is no Segway representative even close to this board? That would at least be a small start. We must represent the very elite of the most passionate Segway riders or something like that?

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by mryang

Can we confirm that there is no Segway representative even close to this board? That would at least be a small start. We must represent the very elite of the most passionate Segway riders or something like that?

Nothing like that.
If you click on "Members List" and sort by either "Posts" or "Reputation" you will see that most of the "very elite" abandoned this site years ago. Sad. And telling.

[JohnG]

True. Because Segway was a fad product that never gained much of a following in the marketplace. It has a market in some niche commercial applications, and that's pretty much it.

Segway staffers read the forums, but not sure any current staffers are members.

The point being is if you want to effect change at a company (especially as an outsider with no or very little skin in the game), you have to give them a compelling argument. I see no such argument in this thread.

John

[KSagal]

I agree with the Johns. There was a time when segway was cutting edge, and there was a lot of excitement and interaction between those who frequented this forum and the Segway Inc. That time seems more historical than present.

It is nice to see a newcomer arrive on these boards with lots of energy and enthusiasm, but while new to them, it is often some of the same ideas and same concepts for improved rider satisfaction that have been presented here for more than a decade.

I would love to see this kind of enthusiastic energy bring about a new model, or new options from the factory, but I believe if it were to happen, it would have happened long ago, when the membership here was far more closely aligned with the principals at the factory.

[mryang]

The goal to develop Segway to survive and thrive should be in the interest of the company and its user base disregarding how many posts a certain member has made or miles been driven.

I'm afraid Segway is slowly dying because of small deficiencies in the construction which is sad because it is such an awesome product with HUGE potential.

But I also agree - The time has gone far and the enthusiasm surely isn't the same and I do realize the reason ability in this - So my plan is to make my own adjustments and fixes to make my Segways better. This thread was out of curiosity - who else out there felt the same as I did. Yes, most things can b fixed but imagine what an open platform design could do for the development - Think of an open motherboard base for experimenting and your own engineering development - that would surely take Segway to a complete new game!

Thanks for great input and I will post any further testing and development.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by mryang

- Think of an open motherboard base for experimenting and your own engineering development - that would surely take Segway to a complete new game!

I presume you are aware that such things are available.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Ride...nd-Easy-Build/

http://hacknmod.com/hack/build-your-own-diy-segway/

http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/02/15/t...-from-scratch/

And numerous other examples available.

[mryang]

Yes. that's terrible and lame in comparison to the real Seg.

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted by mryang

- Think of an open motherboard base for experimenting and your own engineering development -

So, do you want "your own engineering development", or do you want a platform with existing faults "as built by Segway"?

[mryang]

A Segway, "open sourced" that anyone can further develop and make your own engineering on whatever it is a 50mph twin axle ATV or a mobile phone booth with the Segway MB as base. Dream

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by mryang

A Segway, "open sourced" that anyone can further develop and make your own engineering on whatever it is a 50mph twin axle ATV or a mobile phone booth with the Segway MB as base. Dream

Open sourced is another way to say that other people (other than segway) can develop and make mods and applications for segways, and reap the profits.

Open sourced as you describe will not make more profit for segway Inc, unless it has the function of increasing sales so that people can buy the base machine in order to modify it.

Any way you look at it, the control is lost, some of the potential profit is lost, and liability is increased, all for a device that has proven to be appealing to a far smaller slice of consumers than originally considered.

I do not believe that your mods are economically advantageous to Segway Inc. You may not like it, but companies stay in business to make money, not to make you happy.