Power assist mode?

[GadgetmanKen]

Questions for those who already own and have their SHT's.

How do you activate the power assist mode? With key and turn switch?

Can you go forward and reverse? (important to me)

Can you have it go slow and maybe a little faster? (also important to me)

When pulling it up stairs, do you pull it facing the front, or facing the rear?

Can you have it assist you going down stairs, does it just roll down the stairs? Or, can you make it go slowly down the stairs? Does it still try to balance itself in power assist mode, or not?

For those that have wheel chair type ramps for loading onto their hitches or trucks, Do you lower the handlebars (t-bar) so you can reach when power assisting in upon to it? Or, do you ride it up onto it not using the power assist mode?

Just need these answers for some of my brainstorming....

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[pt]

i started to answer these questions, but the remembered i made a video about this:

http://www.bookofseg.com/videos/power_assist.wmv


cheers,
pt


http://www.bookofseg.com

[JaneJetson]

quote:Originally posted by GadgetmanKen

Questions for those who already own and have their SHT's.

How do you activate the power assist mode? With key and turn switch?


When you turn the Segway on, it comes up in power assist mode. You use the red mode switch button to get it into balance mode. To move the Segway backwards or forwards, you use the turn control, which in power assist controls direction and speed.

quote:
Can you go forward and reverse? (important to me)


Yes.

quote:
Can you have it go slow and maybe a little faster? (also important to me)


Yes. How far you turn the turn control in the direction you want the Segway to go determines the speed.

quote:
When pulling it up stairs, do you pull it facing the front, or facing the rear?


The Segway should always be between you and gravity. Go up the stairs facing backwards, with the Segway below you. Go down the stairs facing forwards, with the Segway below you.

quote:
Can you have it assist you going down stairs, does it just roll down the stairs? Or, can you make it go slowly down the stairs?


Yes, you can have it assist you going downstairs, and you can make it go slowly.

quote:
Does it still try to balance itself in power assist mode, or not?


No, it does not try to balance itself. (Power assist mode used to be called "Follow Me" mode, and that's what it will do.)

quote:
For those that have wheel chair type ramps for loading onto their hitches or trucks, Do you lower the handlebars (t-bar) so you can reach when power assisting in upon to it? Or, do you ride it up onto it not using the power assist mode?

Just need these answers for some of my brainstorming....

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"


I don't have a ramp, so I can't answer this last one...

JaneJetson

[mzokc]

One more question. Do the wheels run straight in power assist mode, or does it drift to the left or right. This could be critical when two ramps are used for loading, one for each wheel.

Mark

[JaneJetson]

Hi mzokc --

They seem to run straight, although you can still turn the Segway by turning the handlebars in the direction you want it to go.

JaneJetson

[mzokc]

Thank you JaneJetson for the quick answer!

I needed some clarification because of the comment, "...the turn control, which in power assist controls direction and speed."

I will assume the turn control only affects speed and the swing of the handle bar controls direction in power assist mode.

Mark

[GadgetmanKen]

[quote]
Yes. How far you turn the turn control in the direction you want the Segway to go determines the speed.

Is this speed determined by the color of the key or not, in power assist? It cannot go 12 mph in power assist mode can it? Only real slow or a bit better?

If it could, I would imagine it wouldn't be hard for someone to actually run off with your SHT, pulling it behind them. In power assist they wouldn't need to be able to know how to ride it.

When you step off after a ride, does it automatically go into power assist mode? Do you have to put in back in balance mode before you step back on? IOW, ,does it reset itself, when you step off?

[quote]
When pulling it up stairs, do you pull it facing the front, or facing the rear?

[quote]
The Segway should always be between you and gravity. Go up the stairs facing backwards, with the Segway below you. Go down the stairs facing forwards, with the Segway below you.

Meaning... you always want the SHT below you, not above you. Correct?
And you could "pull" it up the stairs from either the front or rear of the SHT?



"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[Deviant]

I use power assist mode to direct my HT up the ramp into my truck - no problem. Steering left and right is done by physically pushing or pulling one side of the handlebar more than the other.

The fender is higher in the front of the HT, so that front end is the better to be closer to the ground for clearance. So, I end up "driving" my HT from the front of its platform rather than from the reflector side (i.e. I face the front). The control shaft will lie down in either direction.

When you step off the i-series, it will remain in balance mode. When you step off the e-series, it will be in e-park mode (same as balance, but it doesn't require supporting since it won't run away on flat ground). With either unit, I find it best to allow the handlebar grip to rest on my upturned palm, as opposed to clinching the handlebar which might result in moving it forward or backward.

I doubt the key color code has any affect on speed of power assist - hadn't really tried.

[GadgetmanKen]

Ahhh, just the answers I wanted to here... How about the difference between the colored keys and the speed? Anyone know?

[quote]
The control shaft will lie down in either direction.

Is this only when powered off or is this with the handlebars folded up? They do fold up or lay down onto the base don't they?

Do you lower the handlebars when gliding it up the ramp so you can reach it or hold onto it? Or just shut the power off after its on the ramp while its leaning over?

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[JaneJetson]

Hi mzokc and GadgetmanKen --

To clarify, in power assist, the turn control controls speed, and forward or backward motion. If you just want to move the Segway forward or backwards, you're not using the handlebars to add any additional directional guidance.

If you want to actually turn to the left or the right, you'd add in moving the handlebars in that direction.

Ken, I'm not sure what you mean by the "the handlebars folded up". You can take the control shaft off or shorten its length, but it doesn't fold down.

Hope all this makes sense! :>

JaneJetson

[JaneJetson]

Oops, Ken -- I didn't see this question:
quote:
When you step off after a ride, does it automatically go into power assist mode? Do you have to put in back in balance mode before you step back on? IOW, ,does it reset itself, when you step off?

It stays in balance mode until you switch it into power assist mode using the mode switch button (or until a certain amount of time which I can't recall passes, and it turns itself off).

JaneJetson

[pam]

quote:Originally posted by mzokc

Thank you JaneJetson for the quick answer!

I needed some clarification because of the comment, "...the turn control, which in power assist controls direction and speed."

I will assume the turn control only affects speed and the swing of the handle bar controls direction in power assist mode.

Mark


This has been my experience. Turn control affects speed and direction (whether forward or backward) - to get it to turn a corner (like coming into my house from the garage and parking just to the left of the door) requires swinging it via pulling on the handlebars.
Pam

[Deviant]

You do not want to shut the power off while on a ramp. You want the HT in power assist mode so that rotating the handle grip will give you power in one of two directions. I even use power assist while rolling it down the ramp. So it does not roll down at full force, I actually bump the HT in reverse a few times as it comes down the ramp to slow it down.

The control shaft will allow the unit to lie down whether the shaft is extended or shortened. I leave my shaft at a single length for myself (excluding demos for others), whether riding or guiding up or down the ramp. You would not want to shorten for going up the ramp, as the HT gets further away from you, the length is important. I do not walk up my ramp as it is short - from the ground to the horizontal truck tailgate. I doubt I could walk up that steeply anyway. If you need to stay closer to the HT, you could walk on the side of the ramp.

After my HT is in the truck, I continue to power it into its travelling position (near the cab), then shut it off, and bungee the wheel holes (used for cable lock) to the cabside bed corner brackets to prevent the HT from sliding around. I also have already removed the front bag, leaving the bag support bar on. This keeps the bag from getting dirty (my truck bed is never clean) or rained upon. Also ensure that the HT power jack cover is sealed, as it is now facing directly upwards (rainward).