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Old 05-26-2019, 04:59 AM   #4
Philip
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Philip will become famous soon enough
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Auckland, New Zealand.
Posts: 81
5 yr Member
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Regarding: "What are the redundant subsystems you mention when you talk about using these in a tour environment? I know as far as boards are concerned there is only one vs 2 and the separate BSA(gyro) but what difference do these make in a tour environment?"

Well, here in New Zealand our Health & Safety laws require a business to take all practicable steps to keep customers safe. I believe the requirements in UK are similar. A Segway PT meets this requirement because it has redundant sub-systems. I suggest other brands cannot.

Self-balancing devices are amazing - right up until the moment when they stop self-balancing without any warning. Every component fails, eventually (even with the best maintenance program). So it is only a matter of "when" (not "if") it happens. When a critical component fails the self-balancing device either falls over (both wheels lose power) dumping the rider, or turns on the spot and falls over while throwing the rider off (one wheel loses power, the other keeps going).

In a broad sense, the critical comments are the battery packs, the motor controllers, the steering sensors, the "gyros" (balance sensors), and the motors. The Segway PT has two of every critical component (including double-wound motors, so effectively two motors inside one housing). If one half fails, the device is still able to maintain self-balancing using the other half, enabling the rider to maintain full control over steering as the device automatically slows to a stop allowing safe dismounting.

Other brands of self-balancing device have only one of some/all critical components, so a failure results in loss of balancing/control....and a fall. You don't want your customers falling off because you've put them on a machine that is definitely going to fail at some unknowable point in time.

Two other reasons to use genuine Segway PTs come to mind. First, they are actually really reliable and last for years and years. Second, you can use the Segway brand to attract customers to your business (this is vital, really). In my observation over the years, for whatever the reasons, no business that uses non-Segway brand devices for a tour business lasts more than 1 or maybe 2 seasons.

What do others think?
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