toybuilder
03-15-2003, 06:55 PM
Hi gang,
I gave out an extended (1 hour) demo to a distinguished gentleman today, and in the course of Q&A, we talked about the fact that the Segway has no brakes.
It seems that one of the greatest fears of the Segway comes from the fact that the Segway technically has no brakes. This is my first attempt at explaining why the Segway is safe without brakes. Please give me your comments!
The Segway is safer for having no brakes.
That sounds weird, doesn't it?
Once upon a time, it was believed that an object made of metal couldn't fly. It was also once believed impossible for two people in two different cities to hold a conversation. But we know today that airplanes do fly, and telephones do allow distant conversations. The science didn't change. Instead, each of these invention broke the "rule" of contemporary thinking.
The Segway HT breaks the widely held belief that the only safe way to stop a moving vehicle is to apply a brake.
But wait a minute -- the human body doesn't have brakes. How does a person come to a stop? Well, if you pay attention to what your legs are doing, you'll noticed that you stop by applying force against the momentum of your travelling body. The effect is more noticeable when you try to stop while running, or if you repeatedly rock backwards and forwards (take two steps forward, two steps back). Your brain controls your legs to apply enough force to slow down the body until it comes to a complete stop. If that leg can't safely stop you on the first step, you take another step and continue to push back with the other leg. (If you tried to stop only on the first step, and didn't take the additional steps, you' end up falling flat on your face.)
The Segway essnetially does the same thing -- when you decide to stop, the Segway applies the right force against the momentum of your body to slow it down and come to a stop. It doesn't lock the wheel, or try to stop at the exact place you began stopping. Instead, the wheels continue to roll along while applying the force that slow you down.
A Segway stops in about the same distance as a person travelling at the same speed. If I'm going at a walking pace, I can stop in about 6 inches. If I'm going 12 mph, I need about 10 feet. 10 feet sounds like a lot, but a runner will also need 10 feet. Laws of physics can't be broken.
Of course, if all we wanted was to stop the Segway, a properly modulated "antilock" brake would probably work -- but there's an actual safety advantage to using the counter-force instead of brakes: you can go backwards.
When you're walking, and you suddenly encounter a danger, your first reaction is to stop. But you might actually want to move back away from the danger. When you're on your feet, you just pump your leg to carry you back a few steps. With the Segway, you let it roll you back a couple foot or so. Try that on a bicycle or a scooter!
http://www.pasadenasegway.com
Do not let yourself be forced into doing anything before you are ready.
— Wilbur Wright
I gave out an extended (1 hour) demo to a distinguished gentleman today, and in the course of Q&A, we talked about the fact that the Segway has no brakes.
It seems that one of the greatest fears of the Segway comes from the fact that the Segway technically has no brakes. This is my first attempt at explaining why the Segway is safe without brakes. Please give me your comments!
The Segway is safer for having no brakes.
That sounds weird, doesn't it?
Once upon a time, it was believed that an object made of metal couldn't fly. It was also once believed impossible for two people in two different cities to hold a conversation. But we know today that airplanes do fly, and telephones do allow distant conversations. The science didn't change. Instead, each of these invention broke the "rule" of contemporary thinking.
The Segway HT breaks the widely held belief that the only safe way to stop a moving vehicle is to apply a brake.
But wait a minute -- the human body doesn't have brakes. How does a person come to a stop? Well, if you pay attention to what your legs are doing, you'll noticed that you stop by applying force against the momentum of your travelling body. The effect is more noticeable when you try to stop while running, or if you repeatedly rock backwards and forwards (take two steps forward, two steps back). Your brain controls your legs to apply enough force to slow down the body until it comes to a complete stop. If that leg can't safely stop you on the first step, you take another step and continue to push back with the other leg. (If you tried to stop only on the first step, and didn't take the additional steps, you' end up falling flat on your face.)
The Segway essnetially does the same thing -- when you decide to stop, the Segway applies the right force against the momentum of your body to slow it down and come to a stop. It doesn't lock the wheel, or try to stop at the exact place you began stopping. Instead, the wheels continue to roll along while applying the force that slow you down.
A Segway stops in about the same distance as a person travelling at the same speed. If I'm going at a walking pace, I can stop in about 6 inches. If I'm going 12 mph, I need about 10 feet. 10 feet sounds like a lot, but a runner will also need 10 feet. Laws of physics can't be broken.
Of course, if all we wanted was to stop the Segway, a properly modulated "antilock" brake would probably work -- but there's an actual safety advantage to using the counter-force instead of brakes: you can go backwards.
When you're walking, and you suddenly encounter a danger, your first reaction is to stop. But you might actually want to move back away from the danger. When you're on your feet, you just pump your leg to carry you back a few steps. With the Segway, you let it roll you back a couple foot or so. Try that on a bicycle or a scooter!
http://www.pasadenasegway.com
Do not let yourself be forced into doing anything before you are ready.
— Wilbur Wright