"Rick" wrote in message
...

Uh, the thing has 4 wheels... Pfffftttt... Look at the pictures

yeah, just like a top fuel funny dragster has 6 wheels and really
needs them


And like a bicycle with training wheels; it's still a bicycle. The
reference is to the main wheels. We might as well really act stupid and
claim steering wheels count too.

Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 7, 1:55 pm, RobertH wrote:

The only potential advantage over in-line two wheelers is that,
supposedly, it won't fall over. ...


Ever try one? Bicycles and crowds of people don't mix well at all
because of the difficulty of starting and stopping and the need to
maintain some speed to balance. Segways stop and stand still easily,
like pedestrians. Could you push a grocery store shopping cart with a
standard bicycle? You can easily on a Segway, or spin around in place
to pull it.

I'm having trouble visualizing that grocery cart thing. Where are each
of your hands when you're pushing or pulling it? Is any other apparatus
involved which hooks onto the cart?

Maybe I could do it easily with an empty cart, but a full week's load of
groceries takes me more than one hand to comfortably push (and steer).

Jeff (Who's probably missing something here.....)

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Cliff wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

So all that tax money is going to Dean Kaman and his wacky ideas?

Oh goody.

If the US wants inexpensive urban transportation, all it needs to do is
ease up on the safety requirements for cars that make them heavy and
expensive, while at the same time changing out the brains of all those
folks buying Ford Leviathans.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 08:42:48 -0700 (PDT), Jim Wilkins
wrote:

Any small vehicle has the same issue, that the US roads weren't built
for them and traffic is often too aggressive. It's a major problem for
power wheelchair users, too. Around here about the only motorcycles
seen are Harleys with big dudes on them. I retired my smaller Honda
years ago after being cut off and tailgated too many times, and I
didn't ride slowly or timidly at all.

But not true in many cities, like DC. A smaller cross section would
give it advantage manuevering in many of the streets during rush hour
or early morning when the trucks double park all over the city. It
also has the same advantage the small Merc has when it comes to
parking - no minor issue around areas like, say, Dupont Circle.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

This reminds me of Smokey Stover's Foomobile except it has a top.

http://tinyurl.com/cnks7f



On Apr 7, 3:32*am, Cliff wrote:
*http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...pr07,0,2638670.....
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]

adchin wrote:
I think it's called a motorbike


No, that would be too simple. GM is, and always will be, afflicted
by a need to do things in the most difficult, most expensive way
possible, no matter how many cheap and simple alternatives might be
rolling along Jefferson Avenue, right past their doorstep.

So instead of a motorbike, they want to put wheels on the left and
right sides of the vehicle, then put a gyroscope in it so you don't fall
on your nose or your ass. The thought of just putting your foot out to
keep from falling over, or steering with a simple fork and bearing,
instead of a complex linkage or an electronic control that proportions
wheel velocity, or whatever, just isn't GM's style. And when they've
complicated the basic idea to the point of total absurdity, they'll
probably try to sell it for 10 or 20 times the price of an
off-the-shelf, proven quality, immensely popular Vespa.

It's sad.

KG

On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:52:36 GMT, Mark & Steven Bornfeld
wrote:

Cliff wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]


Dear Segway---

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice--won't get fooled again!!"

Steve
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Apr 7, 6:01*pm, "Blake" wrote:
"Rick" wrote in message

...



Uh, the thing has 4 wheels... Pfffftttt... Look at the pictures

yeah, just like a top fuel funny dragster has 6 wheels and really
needs them

And like a bicycle with training wheels; it's still a bicycle. *The
reference is to the main wheels. *We might as well really act stupid and
claim steering wheels count too.

Or... .you could say it has 4 wheels, which it does, All four are
essential to the operation. Or we could just be stupid and say those
round things that keep it stable are not wheels.. A bike with training
wheels has 4 wheels professor..

Now take your crossposting penis pullers and go back to your
engineering group where you can all measure yourselves and argue about
units of measure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most corrupt congress in history, holding hands with the most
criminal administration in history. We're screwed!

wrote in message
...
On Apr 7, 6:01 pm, "Blake" wrote:
"Rick" wrote in message

...



Uh, the thing has 4 wheels... Pfffftttt... Look at the pictures

yeah, just like a top fuel funny dragster has 6 wheels and really
needs them

And like a bicycle with training wheels; it's still a bicycle. The
reference is to the main wheels. We might as well really act stupid and
claim steering wheels count too.

Or... .you could say it has 4 wheels, which it does, All four are
essential to the operation. Or we could just be stupid and say those
round things that keep it stable are not wheels.. A bike with training
wheels has 4 wheels professor..

Now take your crossposting penis pullers and go back to your
engineering group where you can all measure yourselves and argue about
units of measure.

You're too funny. People reply to your crossposted message and you insult
them for crossposting. Lmaoay

"RobertH" wrote in message
...
On Apr 7, 4:23 am, Cliff wrote:
On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:12:41 -0400, Cliff wrote:
On 7 Apr 2009 16:15:40 +0800, adchin wrote:

I think it's called a motorbike

The P.U.M.A. prototype
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=15888

http://www.segway.com/blog/20090406i...-puma-329.html
http://www.segway.com/puma/

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...//image.emeral...
--
Cliff

The only potential advantage over in-line two wheelers is that,
supposedly, it won't fall over. This could eliminate a whole class of
injuries and attract people who are scared of bikes and motorbikes.
But people will still get seriously injured in that thing in car-
loveseat collisions.

Instead if falling over, it would fall frontwards or backwards. Still
falling over.