Well it's out
Monday December 3, 3:10 am Eastern Time
Revolutionary Scooter to Be Unveiled
'IT' Unveiled: Inventor Ready to Reveal His Highly Touted Innovation
By JIM KRANE
AP Technology Writer
biz.yahoo.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation is finally learning what ``IT'' actually is.
Capping months of rampant speculation about his mysterious and much-ballyhooed invention, Dean Kamen was set to unveil the Segway Human Transporter on Monday, a one-person, battery-powered scooter that supporters say will revolutionize transportation much like the automobile did a century ago.
Kamen and his backers have big hopes for the agile Segway, saying the scooter will displace awkward, polluting cars, leading to a realigned cityscape that is more people-friendly.
The Segway, initially known only as its codenames ``IT'' and ``Ginger,'' ``will be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy,'' Kamen told Time magazine for Monday's edition. ``Cars are great for going long distances. But it makes no sense at all for people in cities to use a 4,000-pound piece of metal ...''
Kamen holds roughly 100 U.S. patents. His other inventions include the heart stent used by Vice President Dick Cheney and a wheelchair that can climb stairs.
Kamen said the battery-powered device requires little electricity. Kamen's Manchester, N.H.-based firm DEKA Research and Development will oversee production of the machine.
The two-wheeled Segway, which looks like a cross between an old rotary lawn mower and a Razor scooter, travels at a top speed of about 17 miles per hour.
According to those who have ridden it, the scooter is difficult to fall from or knock over due to gyroscopes that work to keep it upright and discern where the rider wants to go. Speed and direction are controlled by the rider's shifting weight. |
