Segway S-Pod

Segway S-Pod

Segway s-pod most modern self-balancing vehicle seems strange, however, what’s new? Segways have usually made riders seem like technological fools. At least in Segway’s latest car, the egg-shaped S-Pod wheelchair issue, you may wave at your haters from a conveniently seated position as you roll on by.

And I’ll tell you what: searching cool turned into the closing factor on my mind when I got to drive the S-Pod round at Segway-Ninebot’s booth on the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, due to the fact this issue is definitely loads of a laugh.

Segway S-Pod

The S-Pod become introduced late ultimate week in advance of CES, and it serves as a form of more relaxed spiritual successor to the original Segway and its many iterations.

It allegedly has a thoughts-boggling pinnacle speed of 24 miles in line with hour, even though the unit I drove at the display ground was pace constrained to 7.five mph. And it’s slated to be released in the second half of 2020, in all likelihood in fleet shape first before any direct-to-consumer sales ever happen.

I observed the S-Pod be extra a laugh than a stand-up Segway due to the fact there has been almost no studying curve. There’s no want to find your balance since the S-Pod is managed with a joystick at the right side of the seat.

Push forward to go forward, again to move in reverse, and to the left or right to spin in place. Moving the joystick between 10 and 11 o’clock or 1 and a couple of o’clock will let you switch left or right, respectively, while preserving pace. Overall, the S-Pod is somehow quite nimble regardless of being what must be a distinctly heavy piece of equipment.

Like its predecessors, the S-Pod has only a few “features.” There was a mild strip over my proper shoulder that communicates the battery level, and there are more lights at the again that function turn signals. The colors of these lighting can be customized to the usage of a tablet that pops out of the left armrest. There’s additionally a horn button, although that didn’t work on the prototype I drove.

But the most impressive factor approximately the S-Pod is that it is rock strong notwithstanding the reality that the large chair sits on simply two wheels. It is no way as soon as felt just like the S-Pod turned into going to tip over in any direction, irrespective of whether or not I turned into stopped or taking turns around sharp corners. From the moment I turned on the S-Pod and it lifted me up into the active position, it turned into smooth to sense Segway’s many years of experience with self-balancing gyroscopic technology.

Alas, this is CES, and things generally tend to go incorrect with even the quality prototypes. At the very give up of my ride, the joystick came loose, and the Segway egg (and I) crashed into the wall. Thankfully, there was no exquisite fall.

Segway S-Pod Specs

Dimension (Height x Width x Length) 1580 x 790 x 1400 mm
Max Speed 24.8mph (40 km/h)
Net Weight 330.7lbs (150kg)
Typical Range 43.5 miles (70 km)
Climbing Angle 10°

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