Encounter With Deka Engineer

[dupa]

I'm at work yesterday, and a guy arrives driving a Toyota Sienna minivan. He is with his 6-8 year old son. As he approaches me, I notice he is wearing a white or light blue Segway T-shirt. There is a small Segway logo on the front and a patch on the back that says Segway 2001. I'm thinking, yeow, this could be another lucky day!

I introduce myself, as he is there to have me try and sell him my product. I can't resist, so I immediately ask him if he works for Segway. No, he works for Deka. Oh, what project? The Ibot. I tell him I'm quite familiar with Segway, Deka etc. and had done some work for FIRST. He doesn't seem to care and is most interested in picking brain on the product he is trying to learn about.

So I'm kind of in a bind right from the start. I want this guy to be happy with my presentation, so I can maybe make some money, so I can't push him too hard off track, and be unprofessional. So I try interjecting questions here and there as we go along to see what news I could pry out of him.

I won't mention his name because it would serve no purpose. Like all the engineers from Deka I've met, he was on the quiet side, but very serious and contemplative. He was very thorough in examing the products I was showing him, and had lots of good questions. I usually feel like a midget around people like him, and it was even worse this time. Even with a nice guy like this. He told me that he and his son had ridden a tandem bicycle to Bar Harbor, Maine from Manchester, NH,...a six day trip. Even his son made me feel like a midget! I'd have trouble peddling across town!

Anyway, I think my first question was, when would the Ibot be on the market? I don't know. What about the stirling project? Don't know.
When is the consumer Segway going to be released? Don't know. I quickly get the impression he is well trained at fending off inquiring minds. I wait a while and try to think of maybe one question that might work. He had said he was a sofware engineer on the Ibot project. I'm thinking, of course! he has the software keys to the Segway kingdom too! I'm thinkin, yeah, the Segway speed is controlled by the software, and I'm convinced they are holding back on the real speed potential because of the regulatory process(I would too). And I remember at an Ibot demo last fall I was at, a guy had on an Ibot T-shirt from the Eiffel Tower project(an Ibot climbed it).
On the back of the T-shirt was a picture of an Ibot in the raised two-wheel balance position, slanted forward, with lines coming off it, to indicate it was really boogying along. It projected performance.
I'm thinking all this as we are walking around my products, and at what I hoped was the appropriate moment, and what I hoped was in an extracting way, I said:
"You know, I read how the Segway can only go 12-15 mph right now, but what is the real speed potential of the Segway?"
"I don't know"
I tried.

[Brooster]

LOL ... Makes for a good story though, doesn't it Dupa? Thanks for sharing it.

Broo

Brooster

[Casey]

When that paper he signed said "non-disclosure" he took it seriously. :)

Frank

[Seg-wager]

Pretty cool anyway, dupa! Thanks for trying and letting us know! :)

[4Seg]

Dupa, Good story! thx!

If we could only be resellers...

See the Segway clips! http://www.stlsegway.com/movies

[ftropea]

Dupa,

Your mission....

When you see Dean's parents, ask them how proud they must be of Dean's accomplishments. Get invited to a company picnic and work the crowd until someone spills the beans. If that doesn't work, try tickling Maureen Toohey, Dean's patent attorney, until she tells you something juicy about any pending patent filings (just kidding - she's really nice but definitely won't tell you anything.) And while you're at it... join their softball team and listen for whispers in the dugout!

That's your mission. GO! GO! GO!

<laugh>.. I'm just kidding with 'ya. It's great that you're able to interact with these people. Don't be too pushy of course. Thanks for these stories and updates! Keep 'em coming!

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[dupa]

One more tidbit I left out, because initially I didn't sense the import, and was out of time.

During the conversation when I was inserting different angles of questioning, I suggested a new industrial use for Segway related to one business I'm involved in. It is one of the most lucrative fields in America, and there is NO shortage of cash on hand. I've never seen it mentioned by them or anyone but me, so I felt I was making a potentially very valuable contribution. I offered to test it where I work, and hoped to get one free for the testing, and get the ultimate freebie. After I spelled out my beaufiful story, his response was instant.
"YOU CAN BUY ONE NOW"

Think about it. He was supporting sales. I'm wondering now if this is the start. And brings me to a new question I've been thinking about recently. ARE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH SEGWAYS LEGAL TO USE IN PUBLIC NOW IN THE THIRTYONE STATES WHERE THEY ARE ALREADY APPROVED???? They are riding them on the sidewalks of Manchester, NH. There should be a new thread on this topic.

We are already hearing about prices as low as $4000 for industrial Segways. And don't you think the industrial model is probably the platform that the off-road Segway will be based on, and that maybe it's the same one being used by the special forces? Why wait? GET ONE NOW!!! Industrial strength, for those who can't wait.

This could be the start of the public Segways.

GENTLEMEN, BOOT UP YOUR SEGWAYS


ORDER YOURS TODAY!!!, at www.segway.com

[ftropea]

Well, I want to buy two..

So I'd rather pay $6K than $8K :) That's $2K more for my wife to spend at Macy's!!!

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[dupa]

And Frank, I met Deans parents about ten years ago. They hired me to video his sisters wedding. His sister married an actor and everyone was in Tuxes at the wedding, except Dean, he was in the jeans and Army field jacket. It was before Segway. And they were very proud of him then, as he had already accomplished many huge things. They're really nice people. His mother, his bookeeper then, looked and seemed very serious like Dean. His father Jack , the legendary comic book artist, was really far out and cool. He kind of smiled like a little kid at times. He gave me an autographed poster he had designed for the Stephen King movie Ghost Story, that he had designed.
He wrote in the lower corner: " To P. D., my favorite videograher, Jack Kamen." I had it framed of course.

[ftropea]

Awesome Dupa!! :D

You have a different perspective than most of us here. I'll be most interested in hearing what you have to say in the coming months! Thanks for sharing all this with us :)

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[no1]

2 things.

Peter Straub did "Ghost Story". Excellent book, didn't see the movie.

Segways can be used in industrial settings, provided it is private property. If the roads/sidewalks are privately maintained on private property, use is not restricted.

[ftropea]

I think Dupa was saying Jack Kamen designed the poster for Ghost Story?

Regarding where you can use Segways.. To date, 31 states have passed Segway-HT friendly legislation. The rules vary slightly from state to state, but doesn't that mean if you own one of these industrial version, you can use them anywhere in those states as long as you obey the speed limit and any special regulations (wearing a helmet - use of reflectors - etc.) ?

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[no1]

1) I know what Dupa was saying, but he called "Ghost Story" Stephen King's movie. It wasn't. It was based on a book by Peter Straub. Doesn't matter, except I'm a Peter Straub fan, and not a Stephen King fan.

2) You can use a Segway in ANY state, whether or not it has passed legislation, if you're using it on private property, which is what would be happening with the industrial version, as long as you're riding on private roads and not public roads. Think of ATVs. You can't ride them on the street, but if it's your land, you can ride them whereever you want.

[no1]

Frank, I think I see what you're saying now.

Well, sure, if it's legal in that state, and you happen to own an industrial version, it's not limited to the plant grounds as long as you follow the rules.

[dupa]

Frank is right, Jack Kamen did the poster. I'll dig it out and get more info. But I think Jack also did a comic book on it years ago.

Groovy at TIQ said that he felt it was legal to use the Segways now in cities and towns where it is approved. This is kind of an important issue, because it could kind of jump-start sales.

[no1]

dupa, the poster is not the issue. I KNOW Kamen did the poster. Stephen King, however, did not write the book the movie was based on.

I hate to keep pounding the same point, but I also hate to be misunderstood.

[ftropea]

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying No1 :)

And it seems you understood my misunderstanding.. so we're good! hehe

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[dupa]

Sorry for the confusion no1. It was my rcollection that the the movie was remade and Stephen King was involved in it somehow. I could be wrong about that. I only brought up this tidbit because of a suggestion that Frank had made to me. I like what he and his team have done here very much. This is the place I will be releasing any new stuff that I have from the past or future. And pretty much everything I present can be verified.

Can pictures and video be displayed here, or is this place limited like TIQ?

For example, back in 97', I did some of the video work for the FIRST kickoff workshop. This is where the teams came to Manchester to pick up their robot kits and see the new playing field and have kind of a pep rally. Kamen, of course, was the M.C. of the event. I'm right in front of the stage(left) filming the whole thing. Just minutes before it starts, I notice Kamen behind me scribbling notes frantically over on the side of the room on a pile of chairs. I start the tape with that scene(writing notes for his speach just before prime-time). Then he is introduced and they go through several speakers before he and Woodie Flowers(MIT FIRST Co-founder) give the keynote adress's. Kamens' is the most inspiring, but Woodie is a close second(he is an amazing person, and the slide show he gives can be found on the web).

Anyway, when I get back to my studio, and I put the tape together to give back to them, I get a what I think is a great idea for the title. The title was something like "1997 FIRST Kickoff Workshop".
I used a simple white background and probably blue or black lettering, and the title scrolled through after it started. For background music, I chose a great blues song, "KEY TO THE HIGHWAY", by Eric Clapton. The music was superimposed over the title and continued into the section where I showed Kamen making notes on the sidelines. I chose it for 2 reasons. One, I love Clapton, the blues, and that song. Secondly, the title, Key to the Highway, because I felt then that it was indeed Kamen who had some of the keys to the hightech highway, because of his own work, and what he was doing with FIRST. I was being cute and wondered if he appreciated it. I never heard anything, because I was dealing with the underlings at FIRST.
In retrospect, now knowing about Segway, and knowing it was probably in development then, I think he probably loved the fact that I picked that song.

"I've got the key,... to the highway........."

[ftropea]

Dupa,

We don't have the limitations that TIQ may have. If you have videos or photos related to Dean Kamen, FIRST or Segway that you would like us to host here, send it to me and I'll gladly put it in. The video segment you describe sounds interesting and personally I'd love to see it.

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[dupa]

Frank, please e-mail me with an adress that I can send you a copy of the whole tape(about 2 hours)to, and you can post the whole thing, or what ever you want. I don't see any problem with FIRST, as this stuff only supports them, and I know people like yourself and the others who have put out so much effort here, would appreciate it and maybe be further inspired. Plus, I'm not set up at the moment to transfer it online here(a freind could do it though), and sending a tape would be easier for me right now(the lazy factor). This will get the flow going. Thanks for the interest.