Anybots.

[jbauer]

Hi All,

So Tech TV asked me to make another appearance at a company called Anybots (http://www.anybots.com/) tomorrow so that they can compare and contrast the Segway with a device that Anybots has made...

I'll keep you posted.

- Jon

[q]

quote:Originally posted by jbauer

Hi All,

__snip__

they can compare and contrast the Segway with a device that Anybots has made...

I'll keep you posted.

- Jon


//

i hope it's not that "genway"
(gen(neric)(seg)way).

that should be a quick compar-
ison. (*slaps hand*)

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3h.jpg
(plz click image to enlarge.)

//

[jbauer]

Looks like it's the one from the other thread: http://tlb.org/scooter.html

Found it by looking at the founders (Trevor Blackwell) personal home page http://tlb.org/

Anything you guys want me to ask him while I'm there?

- Jon

[billh]

Jon,

See if you can try his "balancing scooter." Give us a report if you do.

Bill H

[BruceWright]

His device has only 1 gyro, so I'm betting he can only solve the problem of balance along one axis... nearly useless in the real world.

Demonstrate going cross-wise on a hill, and stopping and doing a few 360's. Demonstrate a Segway doing that on camera. It's quite spectacular on a very steep hill. Just keep your body upright, and allow your handlebars to trace an ellipse around your body.

Ask him if it can do a standing-still 360 on a steep hill.


-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[terryp]

Tell him he did a incredible job on his homebrew version, and a great job describing it and comparing it to the HT. Also tell him that nerds are cool.

Practicing Safe Segs in Seattle

[stuart]

Jon,

Looks like you're becoming the "voice of Segway" in the Bay Area.

Stuart

[stevew]

Jon, just be careful you aren't being set up to be used as fodder for one of their comedy bits on "unscrewed" If anybots offers to let you try their scooter, I'd whip out a full-face helmet and strap it on before stepping on!

[Sleepy]

Steve brings up a *very* good point... the safety aspects of the Seg.
I really don't think most people understand all of the redundancy built into the machine. I definitely wouldn't step on the other machine without a helmet and some pads. I'm sure it's fine on flat level ground. But I doubt it's tuned for a variety of surfaces and terrain.

-Alex

[toybuilder]

Make sure you get Mr. Blackwell on the Segway and have him declare that it's much better than his hobby-craft vehicle! :)

http://www.pasadenasegway.org/

[Poindexter]

Tell him some people out here admire him.

"Anyone who wants to be a New Urbanist has never been Old Urbanist." Michael Poindexter (critic)

[charmed]

Invite him on to the forum?

[Sleepy]

jbauer and I just got back from the Tech Live taping.
We both got to try out the homemade Seg.
It's pretty impressive for 4-days work. There's no safety features other than a dead-man kill switch. But it reacts similarly to the Seg-- maybe more cushy, and you need to lean much more.

-Alex

[jbauer]

Yeah, Trevor is a really nice guy. The "scooter" (as he calls it) works pretty well. Would I trade my Segway for it? You guess!

The segment should air Monday night on Tech Live. I should also get this one on CD to share with y'all.

- Jon

[Neelix]

So what did he think of the REAL Segway when he rode it?

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[jbauer]

He is a pretty modest guy. After he rode mine, he said "wow, much more refined and smooth - I guess you get what you pay for..."

- Jon

[stevew]

Glad it went well guys, I'll look for the piece on Monday.

[toybuilder]

quote:Originally posted by jbauer

He is a pretty modest guy. After he rode mine, he said "wow, much more refined and smooth - I guess you get what you pay for..."

- Jon
See! I knew he would say that! :D You can buy a Yugo, or you can buy a Mercedes. Takes your pick!

http://www.pasadenasegway.org/

[Sleepy]

FYI: His turning controls were different than what he has posted on the web. He replaced the little knob with two little pressure pads in the center of the handle bar. You put one thumb on each pad. The harder you push, the faster it turns. I'm not sure what happens when you push on both at the same time-- I didn't want to try it without a helmet.
Overall I was very impressed-- he'd never even seen a Seg in person before today!

-Alex

[stevew]

that's what's cool about being a well rounded engineer. with inspiration, general knowledge and your years of experience you can build almost anything! Did he show you his walking machine too?

[jbauer]

Looks like Trevor made a few updates to his web page since our meeting yesterday.

http://tlb.org/scooter.html

He mentions riding the i series with his text here:

"Update: October 1 2003, just 4 days after putting up this page, I got to ride a genuine Segway-brand scooter. [I don't think I can say "human transporter" without making ironical air-quotation marks with my fingers.] They're pretty nice. Although I prefer the touch steering on my unit, in most other respects the Segway is better. It has a stiffer balance feedback loop, so the handlebars don't move as much. People used to the Segway thought mine felt "mushy." Its speed limit feels much more solid and definite than my speed limit. They accelerate noticeably faster. Mine feels comfortable up to 9 or 10 mph, while the Segway goes 12.5. The Segway, with bigger wheels and more ground clearance, handles urban terrain better. Overall, it just feels more solid and stable."

Talk amongst yourselves... I'm vachlempt.

- Jon

[q]

quote:Originally posted by jbauer

Looks like Trevor made a few updates to his web page since our meeting yesterday.

http://tlb.org/scooter.html

He mentions riding the i series with his text here:

"Update: October 1 2003, just 4 days after putting up this page, I got to ride a genuine Segway-brand scooter. [I don't think I can say "human transporter" without making ironical air-quotation marks with my fingers.]

__snip__

Talk amongst yourselves... I'm vachlempt.

- Jon


//

"human transporter" _is_ the
name given _by_ llc. if
he can't at least respect
that, well...larts! *plonk*

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3d.jpg
(plz click image to enlarge.)

//

[np]

Maybe you missed his joke. He probably thinks of the Star Wars type Human Transporters when he hears this expression :D

quote:Originally posted by q

quote:Originally posted by jbauer

Looks like Trevor made a few updates to his web page since our meeting yesterday.

http://tlb.org/scooter.html

He mentions riding the i series with his text here:

"Update: October 1 2003, just 4 days after putting up this page, I got to ride a genuine Segway-brand scooter. [I don't think I can say "human transporter" without making ironical air-quotation marks with my fingers.]

__snip__

Talk amongst yourselves... I'm vachlempt.

- Jon


//

"human transporter" _is_ the
name given _by_ llc. if
he can't at least respect
that, well...larts! *plonk*

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3d.jpg
(plz click image to enlarge.)

//

[q]

quote:Originally posted by np

Maybe you missed his joke. He probably thinks of the Star Wars type Human Transporters when he hears this expression :D

quote:Originally posted by q

quote:Originally posted by jbauer

Looks like Trevor made a few updates to his web page since our meeting yesterday.

http://tlb.org/scooter.html

He mentions riding the i series with his text here:

"Update: October 1 2003, just 4 days after putting up this page, I got to ride a genuine Segway-brand scooter. [I don't think I can say "human transporter" without making ironical air-quotation marks with my fingers.]

__snip__

Talk amongst yourselves... I'm vachlempt.

- Jon


//

"human transporter" _is_ the
name given _by_ llc. if
he can't at least respect
that, well...larts! *plonk*

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3d.jpg
(plz click image to enlarge.)

//




//

ahem. i'll have to brush
-up on my _star wars_.

kthxbye.

q.

http://www.pcisys.net/~qwhew/segway/jpg_segway_sfest_08312003_sunday_3l.jpg
(plz click image to enlarge.)

//

[jbauer]

Just a reminder that the Tech Live segment should be on tonight at 5:00 PM PST. Sleepy and I should both be featured - next to Trevor - the guy who made his own "Segway" wannabee... :-)

- Jon

[jbauer]

Here's a link to a pre-show article about our meeting...

http://www.techtv.com/news/scitech/story/0,24195,3539115,00.html

- Jon

[ElectraGlide]

quote:Originally posted by terryp

Also tell him that nerds are cool.



When I was giving some demos of my Segway at an outdoor cafe one of the onlookers said it didnt look dorkie, but that it had " Geek Chic " . Thats a new term I will use often !

Steve