Segway Inc.

History

The Segway was unveiled December 3, 2001, following months of public speculation, in Bryant Park, New York City, on the ABC News morning program Good Morning America and first produced in 2002.

The first owners of Segway Inc. were Dean Kamen and venture capitalists. A few years after production and sale of the Segway had begun, Dean Kamen gave up control of the company to the private investors.

The Segway PT was known by the names Ginger and IT (pronounced "it") before it was unveiled. Ginger came out of the first product that used Kamen's balancing technology, the iBOT wheelchair. During development at the University of Plymouth, in conjunction with BAE Systems and Sumitomo Precision Products, the iBot was nicknamed Fred Upstairs (after Fred Astaire) because it can climb stairs: hence the name Ginger, after Astaire's regular film partner, Ginger Rogers, for a successor product.

The invention, development, and financing of the Segway was the subject of a narrative nonfiction book, Code Name Ginger (in paperback as Reinventing the Wheel), by journalist Steve Kemper. The leak of information from that book led to rampant and hyperbolic speculation about the "IT" device prior to release. The speculation created an unexpected advance buzz about the then-unknown product that was, at times, hyperbolic. John Doerr speculated that it would be more important than the Internet. Bezos was quoted that "...Cities will be built around this device." Articles were written in major publications speculating on it being a Stirling engine. South Park devoted an episode to making fun of the hype before the product was released.

The company was sold on Christmas Day 2009, to a group led by British millionaire Jimi Heselden, chairman of Hesco Bastion, who later died in an accident after driving his Segway over a cliff above the River Wharfe near the town of Boston Spa, Leeds in Yorkshire on September 26, 2010.

Summit Strategic Investments, LLC announced in February 2013 that they had acquired the company for an undisclosed amount. The company planned to refocus, grow its product portfolio and expand its worldwide network.

In September 2014, Segway filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission about the infringement of several of its patents by several Chinese companies, including Ninebot, Shenzhen INMOTION Technologies and Robstep Robot. On April 1, 2015, Segway was acquired by Ninebot Inc., a Beijing-based transportation robotics startup backed by Xiaomi, for an undisclosed amount.

In May 2016, the miniPRO, a self-balancing scooter (known as a "hoverboard" but which does not hover) made by Segway, received UL certification.

Models

The current series of models for individual use is the Segway PT

In March 2014, Segway discontinued the previous models and announced third generation designs. The Gen III models, i2 SE and x2 SE sport new LeanSteer frame and powerbase designs, with integrated lighting.

Previous versions included (in order of release):

The maximum speed of the Segway i-Series is 12.5 mph (20.1 km/h). Maximum power is 2 horsepower (1.5 kW) per servo motor. The i-Series is capable of covering 15–25 mi (24–40 km) on a fully charged lithium ion battery, depending on terrain, riding style, and the condition of the batteries. It takes 8–10 hours to complete a full balancing and recharging cycle. For each 15 minutes of time re-charging, the batteries regain a mile of charge. The batteries also recharge while riding downhill and stopping, and by the Segway being pushed while turned off. The p-Series is capable of covering 6–10 mi (9.7–16.1 km) on a fully charged nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, depending on terrain. It takes 4–6 hours to recharge, and regains 1-mile (1.6 km) for every 30 minutes charging.

In 2006, series i2 and x2, were released, replacing the older lineup:

Specialized variants of the x2 were sold under different names like:

The previous models i2 and x2 weighed 105 lb (48 kg) and 120 lb (54 kg) respectively.

In May 2008, Segway introduced a new "Metallic Sage" color for the i2 model, in addition to the original white and Charles Woodwick colors available.

Robotics

The Segway is also available to be used as the mobility section of a robot.

Future products

General Motors announced that it is building a prototype two-seat electric vehicle with Segway. An early prototype of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility vehicle, dubbed Project P.U.M.A., was shown off in New York a day ahead of the press previews for the 2009 New York International Auto Show. At Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the successor was presented, the "EN-V project".

Operation

The original Segway models were activated using one of three keys:

For the new i2 and x2, an InfoKey is used to control settings. The Infokey can turn on the PT from up to 15 feet (4.6 m) away, as well as turn on beginner mode (the equivalent of the old Black Key) or advanced mode (the equivalent of the Red Key), show mileage and a trip odometer, as well as put the Segway into Security mode, which locks the wheels and will set off an alarm if moved.

In September 2003, the Segway PT was recalled, because if users ignored repeated low battery warnings on the PTs, it could ultimately lead them to fall. With a software patch to version 12.0, the PT would automatically slow down and stop in response to detecting low battery power. Any units sold before September 2003 with a label 12.0 have the upgraded firmware.

In August 2006, Segway discontinued all previous models and announced second-generation designs. The Gen II PT, marketed under the two product lines, i2 and x2, allows users to steer by leaning the handlebars to the right or left, which matches the intuitive nature of leaning forward and backward to accelerate and decelerate. Another feature is wireless InfoKey access.

Safety

Because the Segway can reach speeds over 20 km/h (12 mph), the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute recommends that all riders wear helmets when using Segways. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have Segway-specific recommendations but does say that bicycle helmets are adequate for "low-speed, motor-assisted" scooters.

Sales

In 2003, the company sold 6,000 units, and by September 2006 approximately 23,500 had been sold, when all units sold up to that point were recalled due to a software glitch that could cause the units to reverse and that could cause riders to fall off. In a March 2009 interview, a company official said the firm "has shipped over 50,000" Segways.

Profitability

When it was launched in December 2001, the annual sales target was 40,000 units, and the company expected to sell 50,000 to 100,000 units in the first 13 months. Segway Inc's investors were optimistic. Dean Kamen predicted that the Segway "will be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy" and John Doerr, a venture capitalist who invested in the company, predicted that Segway Inc would be the fastest company to reach US$1 billion in sales. However, only about 30,000 Segways were sold from 2001 to 2007.

Critics point to Segway Inc's silence over its financial performance as an indication that the company is still not profitable, as about US$100 million was spent developing the Segway.