How to enable "e-stand" on your "i series" Seg!!!

[ftropea]

Hello everyone,

Normally I don't support "hacks" or "mods" - but I can't resist sharing this one with all of the SegwayChat faithful.

Someone (who made me promise that he'd remain nameless) showed me how to temporally enable "E-Stand" mode on the I-Series! You must do the following (exactly as described)..

Note: E-stand is the ability for a Seg to self-balance, on its own (without a rider) - just like the more expensive E models do (the ones Postal carriers use.)

1 - Make sure your Seg is powered off.

2 - (don't put the key in yet - and make sure you're not plugged in recharging)

3 - Twist the turning control left completely and then release.

4 - Twist the turning control right completely and then release.

5 - Press and release (quickly) the red button 3 times.

6 - Twist the turning control to the left (again) - completely and then release.

7 - Twist the turning control to the right (again) - completely and then release.

8 - Press and hold the red button for 10 seconds - then release. (Note you should use a watch. This step must be done for at least 10 seconds.. but not 11 or 12. You can exceed 10 seconds.. say 10.5 seconds, but don't do it for 11 second otherwise you need to start from step 1 again!)

9 - Place your foot on the LEFT side of the rider platform. Step gently - enough to engage the rider detect buttons. (Remember - you're not powered on yet.)

10 - While your foot is on the platform, twist the controller to the left completely and then release.

11 - Remove your foot.

12 - Repeat with your right foot - this time on the right side of the rider detect platform. Step gently and enable those rider detect buttons beneath the mat - as in step 9.

13 - While your foot is on the platform, twist the controller to the right completely and then release.

14 - Power on your Seg with the BLACK key and mount it.

15 - While balancing in place - begin to do 360 degree spins. You must complete AT LEAST 10 spins. You can do more than 10 spins (better safe than sorry.. if you made it this far, you don't want to do less than 10 spins and have to start at step 1 again.)

16 - Dismount your Seg and power it off.

17 - Sit down and relax.. recover from your dizziness.

18 - Once recovered, make sure your kickstand is extended and your Seg is powered off.


That's it! Let me know if you got it to work...

Also, please post pics!


Regards,

Frank A. Tropea
[/sc] Admin - "Keep your wheels on the ground!" - Contact Me (segwaychat@segwaychat.com)

[ftropea]

OK.. Ok..

If you're still wondering..

<center>HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!</center>


I'm sorry.. I couldn't resist ;)

Be honest - How many of you fell for this? BE HONEST! I got emails to prove it!


Regards,

Frank A. Tropea
[/sc] Admin - "Keep your wheels on the ground!" - Contact Me (segwaychat@segwaychat.com)

[Jeff Allen]

Hook, Line, and Sinker.

[:o)]

Now what are the steps that make my keys work again? I've got an appointment at noon and I'm getting all kinds of funky displays in my status window that weren't there before and it won't start. What's the deal? I've got a problem here.

Onward!
Jeff Allen

[BenBethel]

I almost fell for it - but after a few steps I thought it was pretty ridiculous. I *loved* it though! You know, there's just *got* to be a way to enable the e-stand somehow. Especially on the i168, since my model looks a lot like the e series when it comes to the fenders, wheels, tires, etc.

Thank you!

Ben

www.benbethel.com

[god1138]

'Frank's Prank' made me dizzy, which is why I fell.... for it.

Frank has been a busy guy - Two April Fools Pranks in one day - you devious little devil! : )

But you know I had to smile. After making 30+ complete 360 degree spins (not in one try, ten or more each times thrice over), I was seeing stars.

What really threw me off was the fact that this was posted so late last night, but since I'm central time and Frank's Eastern time, he got the jump on me by an hour. I wasn't expecting the April Foolery to begin for another 60 minutes or so.

It did put me in the mood though. I waited until just after midnight, grabbed the Mag Lite, had my wife sound asleep, and then bust in the bedroom door yelling and screaming our house was on fire, aiming that mag lite for her face. She shot out of bed like a bottle rocket and screamed! Laughed my butt off... then told her "April Fools!" She hit me right in the belly (yes, it was deserved!) and told me she just about had a heart attack.

Anyway, two thumbs up, Frank... good job!

-robert



My other car is a Segway!

[Aacini]

I always had thought that the e-stand of the e series is a matter of software only. I don't think that is additional hardware over the i-series involved here, so I think that should be possible to enable the e-stand in the i-series perhaps via a firmware update. Anyway, anybody knows if is possible to update the firmware of the HT?

[clm]

Trivia,

I understand that the "e-stand" requires weight in the saddle bags to work properly. Our i-series do not have these bags.

Chris

[lipinsky]

Purely software. According to LLC bags are not needed for it to work, but it is only E series (i.e. they wont upgrade an I to have this feature -- I asked).

[RedKey]

It's not a software 'activation' or hidden feature that can be enabled. I've watched as software is downloaded to the Seg. E and I software are completely seperate downloads.

Red


quote:Originally posted by clm

Trivia,

I understand that the "e-stand" requires weight in the saddle bags to work properly. Our i-series do not have these bags.

Chris

[GlideMaster]

<center>I tried to tell you guys right away but I got locked out.</center>
I would have locked me out too. I knew there would be some people out there who would try it. But it was good for a laugh.

<center>The GlideMaster</center>
<center>http://www.geocities.co.jp/Athlete/1267/gif/segway.gif</center>
<center>If You’re Not Graceful In Your Glide, You Must Just Be Out For A Ride. </center>
<center>Looking To Provide A Glide To And For The Rest Of The World</center>
<center>Glide On</center>

[mzokc]

I did it three times during the first hour after the original post was made. When I finally noticed the time and date Frank posted it, I knew who had been fooled!

Mark

[MrTechno]

This procedure does not work. It does not put the HT into the E Stand mode. It is, instead, the procedure to put the HT into HOVER mode. My unit is now hovering approximately 2 inches off the ground, which has put quite a drain on the batteries. How do I get it out of this mode?

Thank you.

www.technogadgets.com

[JosephM]

grumble-grumble.....

good one Frank. Once I saw the spin around 10 time I kinda found out that it wasn't ture.

http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/icon_segway_happy.gif FIRST Pit News Mag @ www.pitnews.org

[dave]

Now how do I get the thing out of "E-stand" mode?

[attydog]

If your Segway is on a slight uphill, pointed uphill, it will actually sit there balancing by itself. Perhaps not the most usefull thing in the world, but sort of fun.
Mark

[Linc2000]

Hey Frank! Your April 1st post may never die. To any programmer your underlying concept still has possiblitites. Lincoln [8D] PS While riding my Segway I ran into a guy in San Diego who saw you riding in NY.

<center> http://www.wwwebhosting.com/tm3wwwlogo.gif</center>

[Carl]

A simple experiment and some knowledge of physics will demonstrate that a standard i-series (with no additional weights) cannot usefully self-balance.

To self-balance (while staying still), the center of gravity of the device must be directly above (or directly below) the "axle" -- the line between the centers of the two wheels. You can turn off the Segway, and lean it backward until it balances; this is the position it would have to be in to self-balance. Unfortunately, on my Segway, this position is leaned VERY far back -- with the handlebars about three feet off the ground, and the platform almost vertical. Presumably, a software modification would allow the Segway to self-balance in this position, but I can't see it as useful -- you might as well lay the Segway on the ground.

[yessir]

Hello, Carl;---I think you got it figured out wrong because if you put your foot under the front of a wheel in balance mode it will self-balance.

Tom

[toybuilder]

quote:Originally posted by yessir

Hello, Carl;---I think you got it figured out wrong because if you put your foot under the front of a wheel in balance mode it will self-balance.

Tom

Tom,

I suppose the fact that the i- stays there could be described as self-balancing. But it's not self-balancing in the same sense that the e- model self-balances.

In the case of the i- held against a block, the Segway constantly torques the motor to hold up the shaft and control bar.

On the e-model, the Segway moves around until the weight of the control shaft is balanced with the weight of the cargo bag (actually, it's more of a front/back ratio of the cargo bag in addition to the weight of the control shaft). Once the Segway finds that balance point, it only adds very small torque to counteract any drift.


http://www.pasadenasegway.com

The Segway is to a Moped like a Helicopter is to an Airplane.

[lipinsky]

REALLY I got e-stand to work on my i-series. I will post a movie soon, but what happened is that my Segway was oscillating between the blacktop and the slight ridge in the concrete of the garage floor. And there it stood. Cool. It was moving about two inches forward and backward with no one on it.

[yessir]

Lipinsky---Toybuilder says that's not true self-balancing (I think he knows), but it sure looks like it. :-)

[lipinsky]

You are right, it really isn't. But it isn't falling down and it is doing it itself so what should I call it :-) How about "self-not-falling-down."

[dexter]

If you go back to the top of this topic and read the instructions again, you will discover that they are not the instructions to enable the e-stand on your Segway, but rather are the instructions to do the Hokey Pokey on your Segway.

That's what it's all about!

(And doesn't that sound like fun for a group activity??!!)

Dave C.
me: www.idexter.com
work: www.idealjacobs.com
play: www.nyline.org

[lipinsky]

Okay here is my experience with using "e-stand" or at least a simulation. Certainly there are risks in leaving your Segway hanging out and ready to glide if you are not around. Basically don't do it. I use this while using the Segway while volunteering with my local ambulance at events and when around the house or with friends.

The trick is to find a small "dent" in the lawn or road. I also use pebbles 1/2" or so high, "seams" in pavement or just the obvious curb. You just need to find something to stop the wheels from rolling forward. Without a person moving the CG forward the Segway needs very little opposing force to enable estand (or a simulation).

It uses precious battery life so keep that in mind. To prevent rocking you need to roll the Segway right up to the dent and just let go. I am surprised at how easy this is.

It is very neat to be able to leave your Segway like this and then just walk up to it and glide off. This *really* impresses people.

Here are two movies that show this work.

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/dscf0001.avi

and

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/dscf0007.avi

These picture were taken with the Segway on its own. (BTW I have no information or know anything about this car. It was just next door to where I was staying for the weekend -- made a cool segway photo though!)

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/dscf0025.jpg

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/dscf0027.jpg

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/estand.bmp

Here is a bonus movie that my daughter and I made. I was worried a bit about having my 10 YO glide over my camera, but she did a great job!

http://www.lipinsky.com/segway/dscf0003.avi

[larryKay]

Now, all we have to do is to arrange for parking areas to put little indentations in the ground so we don't have to lean the Segway or use the kickstand!!!!!

Larry

[lipinsky]

Larry, there are all over the place, especially in the city! Problem with finding a place for estand is that someone else gets to find a Segway to jump on and glide away!

[BillM]

Frank, you're cruel... and I like that in you!

Everyone... I've got an E Model here Now to play with for the past couple days, well after the big guys took it home and played first of course. Let me tell you something, it doesn't work ANYTHING like the i model. I haven't gone through the training process on the E yet and so I'm not comfortable showing to the general public yet (I'll just tell you guys that I've got it). This self balance mode is tough (very cool and useful, but...), you have to lean it back at just the right angle (about where the handlebar post is verticle or perpendicular to the ground in order to get it into the balance mode. It'll take a lot of getting used to. When you get off, it will move foward kinda like a bird, keeping the handle bars in relatively the same point in space and rolling foward in the mean time so that it can lean back... on a flat surface. Now approach the leaning, slightly swaying (maybe) HT E model and gently pull back on the handlebars, but not too far, remember the stick shake if it travels beyond 3 feet... touching your foot to the sensors in the floor makes it move back to anticipate your step. One other thing, the bags on the side do limit your ability to lean into the corners... just another thing to get used to. The bags make it ride like a truck. They're extremely useful but it's not the svelty, sleek cruiser that the i has proven to be. Bottom line is, please don't go jumping onto the E and expect to feel at home, it's way different.

The bags and the programming make a considerable differnce. I'm really enjoying it but definitly need a few days. The combination will make it VERY useful!


Bill Mullen
JM Lexus
Margate, FL 33073
800 805-3987
billm@jmlexus.com

[PoloAk]

Bill, you had to live in FL didn't you!

Shucks, otherwise I'd want ot come down and watch the E-Seg just stand there! I'm glad somebody gets to play with it!!!

Best Wishes,

Kelsey