Air force base to try out Segways... [Archive]

ftropea

10-23-2002, 06:01 PM

"They're way too cool," said Timothy McGraw, aircraft production division faculties engineering industrial engineer. "Easily the next generation of personal transportation. I predict that within the next five years they will be commonplace."

"I like them," said Barbre Stout, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center chemical staging area. "We rode them around the shop areas yesterday, checking out cabinets. They maneuvered really well and they only took up the space of a person. I'd like to see what they can do with a trailer."

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=324

These aren't equipped with guns or missiles.. how cool could they be? Just kidding :)

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

Blinky

10-23-2002, 06:52 PM

Just one of many uses for the Segway-HT. I think once they are on the market, the 'five years' will most likely be less.

Casey

10-23-2002, 07:08 PM

Now that's what I needed to get around base when I was in the AF. I had small electronic equipment to remove and replace then haul back to the shop to repair. This would have been a lot more fun than putting them in the passenger seat of a pickup. A small trailer would have made Segway perfect for that task. Except the Captain would have probably been trying to take it away from me all the time for his "important" details. Such as going to the officers club. :(

ftropea

10-24-2002, 12:46 PM

Casey.. the next thing that's going to come out is "discipline in a pill" which eliminates the need to be yelled at and forced to do 1,000 pushups during basic training. Not saying you needed that...

:D

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

JohnM

10-25-2002, 10:26 AM

When is the Air Force going to field a Segway team?
http://www.ca.ang.af.mil/ragbrai.htm

Casey

10-25-2002, 10:35 AM

I hope you aren't suggesting that it will never happen. It is my bet that once Segways appear in a decent quantity with the release of the consumer version you will start seeing all kinds of competition.

And I think that will include competition that requires the ability to make very quick and small radius turns. Something Segway is capable of, and a bicycle isn't.

SegHockey and SegSocker seem like naturals for a Segway.

Oh, I'm not saying these aren't attempted on bicycles. Only that I think Segways would be much better suited to those sports.

ftropea

10-25-2002, 10:43 AM

If there were a way to strap on a "pair of Segways?" like a pair of sneakers, as JohnM suggested in another thread (attaching your feet to it like a pair of skis), then I would imagine we'd see those kind of sports. I think it's important to free your hands...

Regarding John's suggestion about the Air Force's Segway team - like the bike team - I think that's a great idea. It would be cool for recruitment.. a real attention getter. If the armed forces get hot on Segways.. it's almost a forgone conclusion that they will utilize them in any way possible.

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

Casey

10-25-2002, 11:01 AM

I'm not at all sure of a need to completely free up the hands. They even attempt these games with trucks which of course require both hands to control.

A guard circling a Segway could be used to bump a large soccerball just as other vehicles do. But Segway would be able to operate in a much smaller pattern of manuverability.

And I don't think the low guard would have an effect on the DS system. Not enough leverage, or even no leverage if placed at the same level as the axle.

ftropea

10-25-2002, 11:05 AM

Yeah, that's true... I mean, polo requires horse riding skills as well as hand/eye coordination.. However, I don't like polo.. Hockey, which is more of a free flowing, gliding and fast paced activity is fun to watch.. but you need your hands to control the stick/puck.

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

JohnM

10-25-2002, 11:13 AM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

I hope you aren't suggesting that it will never happen. It is my bet that once Segways appear in a decent quantity with the release of the consumer version you will start seeing all kinds of competition.

And I think that will include competition that requires the ability to make very quick and small radius turns. Something Segway is capable of, and a bicycle isn't.

SegHockey and SegSocker seem like naturals for a Segway.

Oh, I'm not saying these aren't attempted on bicycles. Only that I think Segways would be much better suited to those sports.

I totally agree. Segway's would want to avoid any exhibitions that would require speed and/or distance, ie, actually going somewhere. Better to play up the slow speed agility angle. (To field a Segway team do to something like RAGBRAI would require about 3000 battery changes. The USAF would need a C-130 to do battery air drops.;)

And Aim High is not a competitive team. RAGBRAI is just a fun ride.

JohnM
Out-Of-State Bicycle Club
RAGBRAI 1997, 2002

Casey

10-25-2002, 11:15 AM

I think if you give certain people anything with wheels, and particularly if it has a motor, they will find a way to make a toy out of it. Since early last year when I became completely convinced of what It/Ginger was going to turn out to be I have envisioned it as a platform for all kinds of games and activities for the young and agile (leaves me out).

I think that just like cars, somebody will defeat the speed limiting chip and Segway Chariot races will become a part of the scene also. You'll just have to imagine the horse and the blades on the wheels of a Roman racing chariot.

Casey

10-25-2002, 11:18 AM

quote:would require about 3000 battery changes

Or a small engine to keep the battery charged. Can you say Stirling?

JohnM

10-25-2002, 11:33 AM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

quote:would require about 3000 battery changes

Or a small engine to keep the battery charged. Can you say Stirling?

I can say it. But you can't sell it.
At this point in time the Stirling is only part of the 'vision'. And the 'vision' plus $.99 will currently get me 2 apple pies at McDonald's.

Casey

10-25-2002, 11:53 AM

Which is about exactly what would have been said about DK's use of DS immediately before the introduction of IBot and Segway.

JohnM

10-25-2002, 12:56 PM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

Which is about exactly what would have been said about DK's use of DS immediately before the introduction of IBot and Segway.

Kamen is not selling a Stirling powered Segway today and won't be selling one tomorrow. When he does, I'll be glad to listen to you promote it because it sounds cool. Till then its only visionware.
The Segway he is selling has a top speed on level pavement of 12.5 mph and a max range under ideal conditions of 17 miles (real world - 11 miles) before you either plug it in or swap the batteries.
http://www.segway.com/segway/specs_iseries.html
http://www.segway.com/segway/specs_eseries.html

Casey

10-25-2002, 01:03 PM

quote:Till then its only visionware.

As was the Segway less than a year ago.

Casey

10-25-2002, 01:11 PM

Although it would go against the "green" image desired for Segway, I am perfectly capable (as are thousands of other people) of mounting a small IC engine coupled to an equally small generator to a Segway and making it capable of traveling any distance. Limited only by the amount of fuel onboard.

Any product introduced to the public is subject to modifications. And this would be extremely easy for even a moderately skilled mechanic.

These modifications would be no more out of line than what is done to bicycles or other transportation devices.

JohnM

10-25-2002, 01:32 PM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

quote:Till then its only visionware.

As was the Segway less than a year ago.

And a less than a year ago, many people were expecting a lot more than a scooter. Pardon my skepticism at the hype over the stirling engine.

The Wright brothers had the good sense not to sell tickets on the Concorde after their flight at Kitty Hawk. Give it time and I'll listen, but I won't discuss the relative merits of something that doesn't exist yet. Anything is possible. Till I see it see it on Segway.com its visionware.

Casey

10-25-2002, 02:02 PM

quote:but I won't discuss the relative merits of something that doesn't exist yet.

It seems rather closed minded to me, for you to exclude all future scientific development and discoveries as worthy of discussion, but that is your right.

JohnM

10-25-2002, 02:46 PM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

quote:but I won't discuss the relative merits of something that doesn't exist yet.

It seems rather closed minded to me, for you to exclude all future scientific development and discoveries as worthy of discussion, but that is your right.

Scientific development and discoveries are worthy of discussion, that's why there's a Science & Technology forum on this site. I'm here to discuss the Segway-HT as it is currently being marketed by Segway LLC. Such a discussion becomes muddied if any fault in the current device is glossed over by pointing to as yet unavailable technology or hypothetical improvements. That starts us on the path to the 'real IT' discussion, an area I'd rather avoid. Call that closed minded if you will.

Casey

10-25-2002, 02:59 PM

quote:I'm here to discuss the Segway-HT as it is currently being marketed by Segway LLC. Such a discussion becomes muddied if any fault in the current device is glossed over by pointing to as yet unavailable technology or hypothetical improvements.

Sorry, I must have misinterpreted this part of the welcome message.quote: What other applications could be developed from its core technologies? Is it legal in your state? Is it safe? Is it fun? What else might Dean Kamen have up his sleeve?

JohnM

10-25-2002, 05:58 PM

quote:Originally posted by Casey

quote:I'm here to discuss the Segway-HT as it is currently being marketed by Segway LLC. Such a discussion becomes muddied if any fault in the current device is glossed over by pointing to as yet unavailable technology or hypothetical improvements.

Sorry, I must have misinterpreted this part of the welcome message.quote: What other applications could be developed from its core technologies? Is it legal in your state? Is it safe? Is it fun? What else might Dean Kamen have up his sleeve?

Yet when Jnadke posted....
quote:
You overestimate the usefulness of the Segway and the Stirling engine.

in reply you, you bounced the 'Clean Transportation' thread to Science and Technology where it died without a response.

Casey

10-25-2002, 06:10 PM

You might make note of the fact that I responded in that thread AFTER it was moved. We have catagories here to try to keep the Segway Forum dedicated to Segway as much as possible.

It is not punishment nor an attempt to kill a thread by placing it in the catagory it belongs. It's kind of like keeping your socks and undershorts seperated in the drawer. That is the reason for multiple catagories.

The thread you refer to was not a discussion of Segway, but rather a far reaching discussion of other clean transportation. It joined two other threads on the same subject that were already in the Science Forum.

A DIRECT LINK was inserted for the "moved" thread to make it easy to find with one mouse click.

ftropea

10-25-2002, 06:11 PM

Come on John, I read your "Touche!" message before you deleted it and wrote the above post. Casey is right about the Stirling being on topic.. and you knew it... it is Segway related, plus didn't Dean Kamen say the Segway wouldn't be complete w/o the Stirling? Also, that "Clean Transportation" thread is very interesting... but it was getting off topic as it dealt with the approach other companies might utilize in order to develop clean technologies... and although the Stirling was discussed, the initial topic dealt with the issue of "...other companies going the 'non-pollutant' way."
You can start a Segway Stirling thread if you want.. that's on topic... we won't move it.

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea