Toyota tests Segway-like stand-up-and-ride machine

August 1, 2008 Toyota tests Segway-like stand-up-and-ride machine (AP)

Enlarge

A model demonstrates Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp.'s new motorized ride "Winglet" during a press conference in Tokyo Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Toyota will start testing the stand-up-and-ride contraption, that travels at up to 6 kph (3.7 mph), later this year at a Japanese airport and resort complex and next year at a shopping mall to get feedback from people. No plans are set to sell the Winglet as a commercial product. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

(AP) -- Toyota has developed a motorized stand-up-and-ride Segway lookalike designed to help people scoot around at malls and airports.



Content from The Associated Press expires 15 days after original publication date. For more information about The Associated Press, please visit www.ap.org .

Similar stories from PHYSorg:


Toyota unveils 'green' sports car

created Oct 06, 2009 | popularity 3.1 / 5 (7) | comments 0

Toyota technology has brain waves move wheelchair

created Jun 29, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 3

Toyota to release solar charger for electric vehicles

created Oct 27, 2009 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (25) | comments 10

Surveillance software solves security snag

created Sep 14, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Robots primed for 'are you being served' role in Arabic

created Nov 03, 2009 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (5) | comments 0


print this article email this article download pdf blog this article bookmark this article     Stumble it Digg this share on Facebook retweet share on Reddit add to delicious
Rate this story - 3.5 /5 (30 votes)

Rank Filter

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

  • Soylent - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: 4.2 / 5 (5)
    If it's the same speed as walking at brisk pace then what's the bloody point?
  • Falcon - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: 5 / 5 (3)
    If it's the same speed as walking at brisk pace then what's the bloody point?

    Like the article said they are marketing to the elderly, I haven't seen many quick elderly people nowadays. Although since they statistically have the worst eyesight/reflexes this could be a small titanic in the making...
  • earls - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: 3.8 / 5 (4)
    Rule #1 to blatantly copying an invention - make sure what you're copying was a success first.

    I think we all know how popular and useful Segways are.
  • GaryB - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
    Segway's are great -- their price is is just about 4x too high. If Toyota can bring their manufacturing know how to bring it down by that much, they'll become more prevalent. Still, their version is a bit too slow.
  • superhuman - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
    This has to be either faster then walking or at least have a seat so you can rest while traveling, since walking is healthier than standing still and only a bit more tiresome this device doesn't look very appealing.

    As for elderly the added height of potential fall and the need to constantly focus on balancing makes it a very poor choice, a wheelchair is a better option.
  • Soylent - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    Like the article said they are marketing to the elderly, I haven't seen many quick elderly people nowadays. Although since they statistically have the worst eyesight/reflexes this could be a small titanic in the making...


    Indeed. If you're unable to walk properly unaided the prospect of riding this thing must be terrifying.

    What's wrong with the battery operated wheelchairs that have been around since forever?
  • Glis - Aug 01, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    Wow, more useless crap to make people fatter and asians seem taller. The elderly already have rascals what else could they possibly want!
  • Mayday - Aug 02, 2008
    • Rank: not rated yet
    These machines have great potential use for short trips of, let's say, under two miles, where today many people would use a car.

    I can think of several such uses in my own life. Zipping along on a Segway(I have no experience with the Toyota) does allow you to cover quite a lot of ground very quickly. And you are out in the air and can see much more than standing on the ground or riding in a car. The small added elevation makes a surprisingly big difference.

    There are lots of uses for these vehicles, but acceptance has been hampered by two things: They are ridiculously expensive and they are widely disliked by pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. In short, when you ride one, you will be openly harrassed by these people(it happened to me last weekend).

    And I find that the rider does need good balance and healthy leg muscles. Many riders notice the tightness or even might have a foot start to fall asleep after little more than a half an hour. And that is on a current Segway with the handlebars. Riding one without holding the handlebars requires even more control, balance and effort from your legs. (I suspect the woman in the video is wearing capris because a skirt or shorts would have reveal her better-than-average developed leg muscles.)(It also bothers me a bit that she is not wearing a helmet. That would be truly foolish!)

    So I don't recommend either model for someone who may already have difficulty walking. Or balancing. Or seeing clearly!!! As even a small brush with a stationary object can result in spontaneous rider gymnastics.

    But I do like them, endorse them(for healthy-legged folks) and would love to own one, once the price comes down(way down). I hope they continue development!!

August 1, 2008 all stories

Comments: 8

3.5 /5 (30 votes)
  • Stumble this up

  • Digg this

  • share this

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • Cyborg-walkers stride toward Japan's robotics future
    created Aug 03, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

  • Ducted fan intake
    created 21 hours ago
  • why are you an engineer?
    created Nov 15, 2009
  • Bread Board
    created Nov 14, 2009
  • Student team - building a satellite - want to join - problem:i'm a biotech student.
    created Nov 13, 2009
  • More from Physics Forums - General Engineering

Other News

Gartner said in a statement that semiconductor revenue is on pace to fall 11.4 percent this year

Semiconductor revenue to fall 11 percent: Gartner

Technology / Business

created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Worldwide semiconductor revenue is expected to decline by more than 11 percent in 2009 over last year, less than previously forecast, market research firm Gartner said Monday.


Google SPDY

Google's SPDY will speed up downloads

Technology / Internet

created 12 hours ago | popularity 4.3 / 5 (10) | comments 4

(PhysOrg.com) -- As part of its effort to speed up the Web, Google is experimenting with SPDY, a new application layer protocol, that it hopes will speed up the conversation between browsers and Web servers ...


More than 1,000 people have already signed up on the Internet to receive the "niiu"

Europe's first 'personalised paper' rolls off the presses

Technology / Other

created 6 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Billed as Europe's first "personalised paper", "niiu", a newspaper tailored to readers' individual wishes and delivered to their door before 08:00 am, made its first appearance in Berlin on Monday.


Comcast's NBC talks cap its decades-long rise (AP)

Comcast's NBC talks cap its decades-long rise

Technology / Telecom

created 3 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- Ralph Roberts knew he was onto something big when people ran after his cable TV trucks in Tupelo, Miss., asking for a visit to their homes.


A sign marks the entrance to IBM Corporate Headquarters

IBM makes Big Blue cloud

Technology / Software

created 9 hours ago | popularity 3 / 5 (5) | comments 9

IBM on Monday announced it has created the world's largest business computing "cloud" capable of holding an amount of digital data on a par with 250 billion iTunes songs.