From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Wed Apr 24 2002 - 12:47:26 MDT
I await legislation capping torts & lawsuits. It'll also be interesting to see
the firmare mods to get, e.g., 25 MPH out of the things...
MMB
...
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/24/segway.testing/index.html
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Three Atlanta, Georgia, organizations are the
first to buy a fleet of Segways, electric one-person scooters that created a
buzz when unveiled in December.
The Georgia Power Co., Ambassador Force of Downtown Atlanta and Atlanta
Regional Commission are purchasing 10 Segways for about $9,000 each.
According to the Ambassador Force, a business-funded patrol that provides
tourist information and cleans city streets and sidewalks, its supervisors
will use Segways to get from place to place where their employees are
working.
The Atlanta Regional Commission, a multi-county agency in charge of
transportation planning in the Atlanta region, will use its two Segways to
go back and forth to offices around the city and to tool around neighboring
towns.
Georgia Power said it will use two Segways at its power plant sites and at
corporate facilities. It also will test whether employees who read electric
meters would benefit riding the scooter.
The Atlanta Police Department gives the Segway scooter a spin in downtown
Atlanta, Georgia. (April 24)
The fuel-efficient Segways run on two batteries. The electric chariots have
five gyroscopes that keep the units balanced and upright.
Most are programmed to have a top speed of 12 mph. Each can travel about 15
miles on a single charge, which requires plugging the battery into an outlet
for about six hours.
Segway representatives have said learning to ride one is easier than
mastering a bicycle.
Cops on wheels
Some critics have questioned whether Segways, which were designed for
sidewalks, should mingle with pedestrians or be limited to bike paths and
streets. It will also have to hold up along unforgiving roads. This may be
especially true in Atlanta where potholes sometimes go unfilled for several
months.
The Georgia Legislature passed laws limiting Segway speeds to 7 mph on
sidewalks and 15 mph on roads, where riders will be required to wear a
helmet.
The Atlanta Police Department is putting six Segways through a two-month
test to determine how the department can best use them, for everything from
patrolling parks to zipping down aisles at Hartsfield International Airport.
New Hampshire entrepreneur and Segway inventor Dean Kamen has said the
scooters increase the distance a pedestrian can trek and fills a needed gap
between walking and driving a car.
Segways won't be available to consumers for another year. The average price
is expected to be about $4,000.
Word about the Segway -- known previously by the name "Ginger" or "It" --
leaked in January 2001.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:13:38 MST