New minipro!
 

I picked up the minipro yesterday for $249 at Fry's. I should say that it was a demo, but it only had about 20 miles on it according to the app. All in all, it is in great shape, and Fry's said it has all the standard warranties a regular minipro comes with.

I was wondering what the general consensus is for best accessories. I need to add a kickstand, and I was thinking about trying out one of the handle bars. I don't really need it, but it might be nice for holding a phone or a big LED headlight.

I don't like the handlebar because it unbalances it. The segway, with a handlebar, will take off on its own the second you let go of it. Similar to a full size Segway but with less ability to destroy anything around it :) The handlebar always has to be braced against something while the minipro is on.

No a full size Segway does not roll out of control when you step off it!

I vastly prefer a handlebar, because it feels so much more stable. I own 3 different full-size handlebars that More4mini.com has sold in the past couple years. The current model is the best. There is the drawback that the MiniPro will no longer balance itself, but then my Segway i2SE and my Ninebot Elite+ don't either. Also, you can swap between the handlebar and the knee-bar in seconds.

??

Really? Even the one pictured in "Ironman" had to have the chauffeur grab onto it to keep it from leaving the scene.

I guess it won't go as far as a minipro (with an aftermarket handlebar ruining its balance) which will run away. My minipro's are unmodded and you can step off them, on level ground, and walk away without them going anywhere. Per the i2 manual:

Never let go of the PT when it is in Balance Mode because it will travel some distance on its own, give the Stick Shake Warning, then cut power to the wheels. If you let go of a PT while in Balance Mode, you risk injury to others and damage to the PT.

Risk to others and damage to the PT while it is in control? Odd thoughts from Segway the company. The handlbar is better for your feet on long rides but none of the handlbar equipped devices self balance. You have to keep hold of them or lean them against something.

In order for a Seg to be in the 'balance mode' you must have both feet on it - When you step off, it exits balance mode. Now, if you fall off, it will go somewhere in the first few seconds until it shuts itself off

When it's powered up and you're not on it, it tries to creep forward so that it will stay upright either on it's kickstand or if you have it leaning against a wall

Don

I think he was describing ‘riderless balance mode’, you do not have to have both feet on the mat to be in balance mode. The safety video has a great example of this by using riderless balance mode to climb or descend stairs.

Yup - We use it powered up to go up and down stairs and tall curbs all the time. You lean it forward and it follows you, lean it back and it stops

But it's not 'balanced' IMO - That's only when you have both feet on the footpads

Don

Yeah, the riderless balance mode and any mode that it is trying to balance without the rider on. I read in the manual that the i2 has broken them down into categories. I don't think it self balances with the handlebar hanging off the front in any mode.

The MiniPro will self balance with its kneebar and can even be driven around with the remote control. An accessory handlebar wrecks it's balance.

What will a i2 SE do if you have it powered up and let go of it? I think it will run off and the owner will go running after it like I see on youtube videos.

An I2 doesn't make any attempt to 'self balance' (with or without the handlebar) unless it has a rider aboard with his/her feet on the pads - Then it balances perfectly of course, despite the handlebar and whether or not you have your hands on the handlebar. In order for it to stand still without a rider, it's gotta have a kickstand or be leaning against something - That's not what I would call 'riderless self balancing' despite what the manual may say

Don

Makes sense. It should just fall over if one lets go of the bar while not on it. The minipro will try to stay upright by powering forward to get under the Handlebar. Eventually powering away faster than most people can run.

At 46 minutes into the Ironman movie, Jeff Bridges character comes riding up on a Segway i2 and steps off to walk into the reactor building. He just leaves the Segway and it stays upright and rolling forward. Tony Stark's chauffeur reaches out to catch it. I would like to see what it would do if not caught by the minions.

Power move to ride around your plant on a Segway, smoking a cigar, without a helmet and expect workers to catch the device when you hop off and walk away. Good scene for the character.

As far as I know, for all of the original (Gen1 and Gen2) Segways - although there are sensors for pressure from both feet, having ONE foot on the platform is sufficient to tell the Segway that there is a rider present.

Other than that, there is no generalization about behavior if the rider dismounts, or before the rider mounts, or other situations.

It depends on the model of the Segway. For instance, as you might suspect, the behavior of the Police/Patroller is quite different from some other models.

I had to double check - You are correct (of course) Dale that only one foot is needed. I would have sworn that ours beep a warning when you raise one foot off the pads . . . . but they don't. Sorry for any misinformation on my part

Don

As I recall, as a past Dealer, a Segway knows whether or not there are no feet, 1 foot or both feet.
It makes appropriate decisions.

No feet = nobody aboard.
2 feet = normal operation

1 foot = interesting.
If you are cornering and it sees a transitions from 2 to 1, then it assumes you are near the boundary of rider control, and eases the steering, but continues to run.
I think that if there's only 1 foot, max speed is reduced.
Interesting stuff like that.

Season's Greetings
Michael
www.dgbint.com

Since we are talking about it, lets not forget about my e-167. It was a gen one segway that would balance if you were on it or not. It 'self parked' while on.

I loved it, and would still have it had it been a gen 2 unit. (I had both at one point, and the lean steer won out over the riderless balance feature.)

A standard segway, of the original design factor with a central upright or a lean steer, will stay in balance mode for a short while after you get off, but because of the handlebar shaft being mounted forward of center, it will lean forward and drive forward on its own.

However, it has a 10 foot 'leash' and will not glide farther than that with no rider sensors depressed, and shut down.

This way, if you step off the segway, it will not immediately shut down and fall on you. Instead, it will glide away a short distance, and fall on its own.

Of course, these are the old rules. The newer units will likely do other things, I am not familiar with...

Karl, you are correct about everything, such as the 10 foot leash rule. You went on to say "these are the old rules. The newer units will likely do other things ..." Not so. the Gen 1, Gen 2, the i2SE (which came out in 2014, and I call Gen 3), and the Segway/Ninebot Elite+ all follow the 10 foot leash rule. Of course, the miniPro doesn't follow the rule, since it balances with the knee-steer bar. However, if you replace the knee-steer with one of the 3rd party full-size handlebars, it falls over forward almost immediately if you get off. So apparently its software does not understand why it can't balance when you get off, so it exits balance mode.

Michael, at first I didn't agree with what you said about 1 foot riding, because I always thought my Segways (I've owned 5), all worked the same whether I was depressing 1, 2, 3, or all 4 Ride Detect Sensors. However, I just downloaded the i2SE manual. It agrees with you that if less than 3 sensors (thus meaning one foot) are depressed, the Speed Limiter is reduced. It doesn't mention turning rate, but the reduction you mentioned would make sense. Also, it says that if 2 of the 4 sensors are not detected, it displays two footprints on the Info Key, which means Rider Detect Error. And it says that in Turtle Mode, if less than 2 sensors are depressed (presumably meaning one sensor), it reduces the turning rate to 15%, which allows beginners to mount while yanking on the LeanSteer bar, which we all know beginners love to do until they fall off. Normal LeanSteer sensitivity in Turtle Mode is 55%.

With Gen 2s (although I haven’t tried SE), they don’t start balancing until someone steps on them - but getting off of them does not automatically stop the balancing and put them in the same mode as when they started up. Instead, they remain in Power-Assist mode, which is designed to help you walk with the Segway. You can use the LeanSteer in this mode and the Segway will move itself according to your commands.

This mode is what makes the question confusing, because technically it actually is still self-balancing (it keeps itself upright and rolling) - but you can’t use it to just keep the Segway in one place, because even the slightest tilt or incline makes it move.

If you do want to get completely out of balance mode, you can either use the InfoKey or grab the right handlebar and take five steps straight forward.

With Gen 1s, there is a physical button to switch between modes.

.....and the Generation 2 (and SE) Patroller models act entirely differently, when the rider dismounts.

Or, you can step back onto the platform and resume gliding as usual.

Or, you can lean it against some stationary object, and it will politely stay there until you get back on the platform. I use that mode when I glide to the big neighborhood mailbox to get my mail.