Segway is known to be one of the hottest inventions of the current days. So what is it? Well, the answer does not sound so good, unless you add the hype that comes along with it. In short, it is just another automobile. What is special about it? It has a bit different type of controls. You bend forward to move forward, lean back to reverse, and bend the handle to change direction. And the vehicle is supposed to mimic the balancing of human body. Putting in some complex jargons -
The two-wheeled device uses a complex array of gyroscopes and computers to mimic the human body's sense of balance. Not that I understand much of this jargon. Neither do a lot of people whom I spoke to. So what if it uses some big technology? Ultimately, all that it does is to help you in moving from one place to other, like any other vehicle.
I don't understand why another device that helps you walk has to get so much hype. Afterall this is not the very first. There were more inventions before, such as powered shoes. But no one had this publicity. I can't believe that some thing like this became important enough to get fundings from biggies like Kleiner Perkins and CSFB. But that seems to explain the big price tag of $3000, or approximately 150,000 rupees. Some people even call it a big IT invention. Where is Information Technology in this? I don't see any. See picture and reviews of Segway in Salon. There is still one question that needs to be answered. What does the Segway rider use? Streets or footpaths?
