Segway finesse

[adobephile]

After gliding around town for several months, I've been noticing how "invisible" my Segway has become to me in at least several different ways.

"Get moving" says a lot of it, as I'm simply deciding, then moving under Segway power. Stepping up, leaning, and twisting the steering ring all blend together smoothly with very little if any deliberation. Stopping is just as smooth and immediate, and I've avoided several potential collisions using this effortless control to the max and with confidence.

I've found also that there's a "sweet spot" to speed steering with just the right amount of sideways lean for a given turn at a given speed with just the right timing. It's like the groove and boost you feel on a motorcycle, punching the throttle at just the right time, accelerating out of a turn. The tires are gripping just right, holding you in your arc, and the various momenta all kick in just right to slingshot you out of it.

I think it's wonderful when a machine can be designed to operate so smoothly and intuitively.



http://www.van-garde.com

[yessir]

I think some people just have a knack for the Segway that others shouldn't try. One person even posted a clip of riding down some stairs (and he didn't look scared either).
Me, I just try to keep within my envelope. It's good to hear and see the potential, though.

[woodenapple]

If you were surprised to see someone in a video that didn't look scared while riding down stairs, you should have seen some of the gliders at SegwayFest that were actually riding UP the stairs outside by the fountains with no problems at all!

Rodney

[SegwayUtah]

quote:Originally posted by woodenapple

If you were surprised to see someone in a video that didn't look scared while riding down stairs, you should have seen some of the gliders at SegwayFest that were actually riding UP the stairs outside by the fountains with no problems at all!

Just to clarify, those "stairs" were like 2 inches tall each, and spaced apart enough that it was possible to bump up one, then another, and then another.

[otherwise, someone may get the idea to start scaling any old stairs :)]

Chris

[woodenapple]

I remember the video posted a while back that yessir is probably referring to. The stairs that video showed the Segway going down looked very similar to the stairs people were climbing at SegFest.

I think the stairs were actually about 3 1/2 inches tall. I base that on my recollection of where they hit the wheels on my P when I checked how far up the curve of my wheels they would come.

With my smaller P wheels and my cautious, safety first attitude, I was only willing to climb one stair once by "walking" the wheels up the step one at a time while standing on my Seg.

Even though these stairs were spaced far enough apart, as Chris points out, that you could actually turn the seg around while on a step, I don't want to endorse this as a worthwhile skill to master.

Rodney

[pam]

Rodney, as a fellow Floridian, I was really hoping to meet you at the Fest! Maybe another time!
Pam

[woodenapple]

Pam - I was counting on meeting you too. But I didn't go around looking at name tags enough, and I never got around to asking if anyone could point you out. I did meet several others from Florida, but none who live anywhere near me.

Rodney