Segway presents an electric wheelchair for recreational driving

A few years ago, the name Segway was associated with great hopes for mobility. Numerous investors and futurologists have confirmed that the electrically powered one-person means of transport with only two wheels has the potential to revolutionize urban traffic. But nothing came of it. The sales figures remained far below expectations and the rights to the product migrated to China. Today the classic Segways are produced and sold by the Chinese company Segway-Ninebot. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas used it to present another unusual means of transport. The new type of vehicle is reminiscent of a combination of means of transport from science fiction films and an electric wheelchair.

The control now takes place via a joystick

There are two decisive advantages for users compared to the classic Segway. On the one hand, people no longer drive while standing, but move around while sitting. On the other hand, you no longer have to lean back and forth to steer the vehicle. This is done conveniently using an integrated joystick. If this is fully pressed, speeds of up to 40 km / h can be achieved. A street legal is likely to be difficult to get. The company therefore also markets the S-Pod as an ideal transport option for closed areas - such as amusement parks or university campuses. The innovative balancing technology has been retained, which ensures that the vehicle does not simply fall over, even though it only has two load-bearing tires. The drive is still purely electric.

Two films could have served as models

The first visitors were able to test the device at the CES 2020 in Las Vegas. However, the will not go on sale until next year. According to the developers, the special electric wheelchair was inspired by the movie Jurassic Park. There the characters move around with so-called gyrosphere vehicles - but are still surrounded by an outer shell. The Segway therefore reminds other observers more of the hoverchairs from the film Wall-E. The joke: In the film, which shows a dystopian future, people hardly ever leave their means of transport. It remains to be seen whether it will have similarly loyal fans in reality.