FOCUS – Segway Introduces Four-Wheeler
It has been three years since Segway LLC, Bedford, N.H., introduced Dean Kamen’s Human Transporter (HT). While the two-wheel, zero-emission vehicle hasn’t changed the way humans choose to move from point to point, the company’s designers and engineers continue to use the HT’s leading edge technology to dream up innovative forms of transportation.
In October, Segway introduced its four-wheel Centaur, a concept vehicle that combines Segway’s proprietary dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems.
Weighing 150 lbs. and looking like a four-wheeled bicycle that places the rider in an aggressive seating position, the Centaur sits on a three-shock system, one in each front “arm,” and one for the rear. Boasting zero-emissions, the Centaur runs on batteries and uses regenerative braking, which allows the batteries to recharge during deceleration or hill descents.
Forward and backward propulsion is controlled by pushing a thumb throttle located on the underside of the right-hand handlebar. The front two wheels turn mechanically, while the Centaur’s software allows the rear wheels to turn at different rates in response to data received from the rider’s steering direction. Concept models have reached 20 mph on a flat surface.
Smooth transitions onto two wheels are capable using the dynamic stabilization. When on two wheels, the Centaur is controlled by the user leaning forward or back. Sensors in the vertical portion of the steering column monitor the rider input and send a signal to the controller board, which then issues a commend to drive either or both of the two wheels.
Segway officials say they have no plans to manufacture or sell the Centaur.
Segway currently has 60 dealers in North America. In September, the company announced a tie-up with GE Commercial Finance to offer Segway dealers wholesale finance solutions, and announced the availability of an online accessories store.
Segway also is making inroads in other nations. Distribution deals have been signed in France, Italy, Korea, Kuwait, Singapore and Taiwan, and deals in the China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany are currently being worked on.
“Most European countries are very open to accepting the Segway HT on sidewalks,” said Claude Le Blond, vice president of Segway International Business. “A majority of the population in Europe live in urban areas and its cities were designed long ago to cater to pedestrians — not cars — so the potential for the Segway HT in Europe is sizeable. We have already received positive feedback from regulators in France and Italy, where Segway HTs can be used legally on sidewalks and the rider is given the same rights and responsibilities as a pedestrian.”
