Strategic Upgrades

[SegwayDan]

Leansteer, infokey, and new looks and accessories: all strategic.

Time for some to re-learn Seg steering, but Inc had to start somewhere. Some of the first cars, after all, had a "tiller" instead of a steering wheel. I for one am trying to imagine what might replace the steering wheel. It seems so primitive.

I wonder where in the Segway timeline development for leansteer started. Probably back a ways. I wonder if they at least suspected the need for it earlier than that, but couldn't extend the runway for the first machine to include it. However, it could be the "reach and withdraw" phenomenon of simply trying something and then seeing how it works and how it's received, and then going back to the proverbial drawing board to figure out a better way. Looks like leansteer is definitely a better way.

The new machines will sell like hotcakes. Hope production can keep up with demand.

[bystander]

I wonder where in the Segway timeline development for leansteer started. Probably back a ways. I wonder if they at least suspected the need for it earlier than that, but couldn't extend the runway for the first machine to include it.
Here's a a patent application I came across in the last week that has a figure that shows a glider leaning in the same way LeanSteer functions:

20050121866 (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220050121866%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20050121866&RS=DN/20050121866) Control of a personal transporter based on user position

See figure 8 here on sheet 15 (http://aiw2.uspto.gov/.aiw?docid=us20050121866ki&PageNum=16&IDKey=5144A7B60DD6&HomeUrl=http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526d=PG01%2526 p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum. html%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526s1=%252522200501 21866%252522.PGNR.%2526OS=DN/20050121866%2526RS=DN/20050121866) for the "leaning" drawing.

This application was from June 2005, so I would think the LeanSteer concept was in development for quite some time.

If you have trouble viewing the images, check out this link:

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/help/images.htm

P.S, I find it interesting that the earlier drawings of gliders were helmetless (and sometimes faceless!), but the later patent drawings' gliders always wear their helmets!