Segway Recalling 23,000 Scooters 162
DocJohn writes, "For the second time in 3 years, Segway has announced a recall of all Segway Personal Transporters. The problem described is that the Segway 'can unexpectedly apply reverse torque to the wheels, which can cause a rider to fall. This can occur when the device is tilted back by the Speed Limiter and the rider comes off and then back onto the device within a short period of time.' A software update is needed to fix the problem." This AP story mentions President Bush's 2003 stumble on a Segway without speculating on whether the cause was the software glitch behind the current recall.
23,500 (Score:2, Funny)
Re:23,500 (Score:5, Informative)
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uh (Score:2)
"For the second time in 3 years, Segway has announced a recall of all Segway Personal Transporters."
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Something to do with that wallet-clenching price tag perhaps?
It's hardly the blazing star of personal transport that Dean hoped it would be, that's for sure.
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- looking like a dork
- not getting there much faster than pedestrians
- demanding a bunch of freakin' space to stow my ride when I get there
- not even getting a decent workout or saving any energy
So unless you're fat and want to stay that way, a cheap bike or just walking beats it hands down.
There's a tour company in my town that gives tours on segways. I've seen them in use, and they are useless. They can't go fast on pedestrian sidewalks. If part of my downtown real estate is going to be
Pretty much (Score:2, Interesting)
Perhaps they are worried about proprietary software being stolen by anybody that can get their hands on one, but you'd think if you really wanted to you would be able to do that anyways.
So all in all, why wouldn't they make it so that you can update software from home?
Ahhh, well... on the other hand, I can see now where enthusiasts rel
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They could also be worried about people uploading arbitrary code into them, and then getting the blame when something else goes wrong.
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Dubya's segway fall (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dubya's segway fall (Score:5, Funny)
"I did not fallify! Our secret service determined that the wheels of my Segway were spinning on an Axle of Evil. Mr. Kamen is on his way to Gitmo as we speak!"
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I thought he didn't play the blame game?
Re:Dubya's segway fall (Score:5, Funny)
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Yeah, the Segway's a Democrat.
I think the problem was "spin" control (Score:2)
Perhaps they should get the fine computer experts at Diebold involved? I hear they are pretty good at propping up Republicans.
{....ohhhh...I can feel the flames already....}
Re:Dubya's segway fall (the definitive answer) (Score:5, Informative)
Also, "reverse torque" wouldn't cause him to fall -forward- unless he managed to have corrected it and somehow caused a wheel to spin out on flat, regular asphalt, which is nigh impossible.
I'm honestly not too concerned with this recall - it seems like it happened when people first started to learn how to use the units, where they would get freaked out by the unit tilting back to warn them of the unit's speed limitations, and then stepped off. Jump right back on, and bad things -can- happen, apparently.
-Jordan
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President Bush's fall (Score:4, Insightful)
More likely he just didn't know how to ride particularly well yet. They do take some practice.
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Re:President Bush's fall (Score:5, Informative)
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The only thing I can think of is magic.
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Try searching for "solid state gyros". There's also this [gla.ac.uk] paper too.
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In other words, as I understand it, a solid-state gyro is an angular accelerometer.
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Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. However, this technology has been around for awhile, so think harder. There are several types of solid-state gyros. The simplest type is an integrating accelerometer (suffers from significant drift and all the maladies of integrating analog-digital conversion signals, but only cost a couple bucks). The next step up from that is a piezo ring
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Actually the gyroscopes doesn't affect the balance, they're used as sensors (well, in that way they do affect balance)...
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Balance (Score:1, Funny)
Shocking (Score:5, Funny)
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Exactly (Score:2)
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Yeah, $138m isn't very much money.
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Re:Shocking (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Shocking (Score:4, Funny)
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Cops have to be in good physical shape to be riding a bike all day, which discriminates against the more Wiggums-esque cops.
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I think Piaggio sells that many Vespas every day.
That's too bad. (Score:5, Funny)
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Ex, I've got bad vision and can't drive a street operated motor vehicle. A segway could actually be useful for me in this case, especially in a city with less than sufficient mass transit.
Now, Yes, I could ride a bike, but so could everyone who drives their own car.
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Unless you could put the seeing eye dog ahead of you on another segway....
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I particularly like the military version with the rocket launcher, second from the right in the recall notice.
(No, they just look like golf clubs: a golfer on a Segway would form a critical mass of dorkiness, and I'm not sure the universe could survive that.)
New Business Oppertunity (Score:2)
Then they can make it a sport to see how long you can stay on. And a pit of Segways will soon replace the mechanical bull at Honky-Tonk bars everywhere!
Critical Updates (Score:4, Funny)
well... (Score:2)
Dean Kamen was unavailable for comment as he was being held in an undisclosed location.
It's a joke, lighten up...
Classic Case of How To Break Software (Score:5, Informative)
The point: always assume the user might do anything at any point in time.
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Heh- I just almost signed this with my
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The core challenge is to create robust software that performs well most of the time (the 99% common case) and does not perform badly in the rare (1%) cases. Thinking a
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It also doesn't mean you're right.
Bush stumble was caused by another defect ... (Score:3, Funny)
Software update (Score:2)
Speaking of Software in Cars (Score:2)
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What do you mean? It is been in cars and other vehicles (all modern airplanes) for years. We rely on embedded microprocessors and microcontrollers for most of our day, in engine management systems, braking, in car safety, fly-by-wire, etc. etc. etc. And its not just a couple of if-then-elses. There is some serious code out there. And it works. Most of the time.
Have a look at the Risks Digest [ncl.ac.uk] if you want to find out how fa
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Props (Score:2)
And FWIW, I've seen two in San Antonio, TX... one guy cruising down the sidewalk in front of Lackland AFB, and a new upscale shopping center (La Cantera?) has Segways for their security guards. You'll notice a lot of ramps connecting different levels... not only for handicapped, but for the Segways.
Saw a guard cruising down the ramp... he saw me coming with a grin on my face, and beat me to the punch. "Nope, sorry, you c
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I never realized that being a 'mall guard' goon was such a rough lifestyle.
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then lets all thank god--- (Score:2)
To the owners who didn't see this coming (Score:2)
HA-HA!
A 21st century update to the old moped joke... (Score:5, Funny)
Coming soon? (Score:2)
A dramatic visual demonstration of this problem will appear in the movie Jackass 3.
I'm sure.
Amazing (Score:3, Funny)
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How do I get to the service centre? (Score:2)
Why recall a product? (Score:5, Funny)
Because the CPSC will if you don't (Score:3, Funny)
No, actually. The reason for the "voluntary recall" is that the Consumer Product Safety Commission gives manufacturers an option. They can either do a "voluntary recall", or the CPSC can do it the hard way, with injunctions, orders, fines, and bans on further sales of the product. That results in announcements like Dynacraft To Pay $1.4 Million Penalty for Failing to Report Hazard with Mountain Bicycles [cpsc.gov]. "The forks, which are part of the steering column, can break apart and separate from the front wheel,
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By ripping opening the saran wrap you agree that this product has absolutely no warranty and you give up all rights to be protected by CPSC. You only get a license to use this product, the product is still owned by me. I dont make any claims about fitness of this product for any use. I am not responsible for any damages that happend to you because I made a defective product. W
Not bad really (Score:2, Insightful)
Segway lucky (Score:2)
But I'm not sure it was that way.
Look Ma...No Teef! (Score:3, Funny)
SGA (Score:2)
perhaps a new ad campaign? (Score:3, Funny)
Thanks, I'll be here all week.
And 22,000 of them belong to Woz (Score:2)
But wait until they start recalling colored lasers.
Sam's club sale? (Score:2, Funny)
I would call it "having a personality" (Score:2)
Quick, someone stick a couple of auto-iris CCD cameras( with plate aluminum sun visors ) on the Segway handlebars and call it a 'Johnny 5+'!
LoB
Ya know? (Score:2)
impossible to anticipate (Score:2)
So, let's see if I can nail down the chain of events now that we have the benefit of hindsight:
Wow, it is so difficult to imagine this could've happened...
Device that balances will fall (Score:2)
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They are personal transporters. The wheels and motors are just to move them from use point to use point.
All of the other components (cross-linked redundant computers, solid-state gyros, etc) are part of the transporter system. You can instantaneously *blip* from any Segway to any other Segway on the planet.
Nobody ever reads ALL of the manual.
It's on page 42.
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Good thing, too. That segway is such a pussy magnet, sterilization will be necessary to avoid overpopulation.
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Re:Tilted Back (Score:4, Funny)
Do you even know what a Segway is?
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Small EVs (either NEVs which are more car-like, or electric motorcycles, more traditional electric bicycles or scooters, especially folding ones which allow convenient interface with public transit, etc.) make perfect sense in Northern California.
The Segway is not, as I see it, really among the kind of small EVs that make good sense here, though. An appropriate choice of more traditional small EVs for the particular users will g
Oops... (Score:2)
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I had a great ti