Toyota’s Winglet Takes Aim At Segway
When the Segway was introduced back in ‘01, the New Hampshire based company swore their invention would revolutionize the way people get around. Inventor Dean Kamen even went on record saying the Segway will “be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy.” Suffice to say, dude was buggin’.
Seven years later, less than 40,000 have been sold and people are still getting from point A to point B the same damn way. So it’s kinda surprising that the worlds largest automaker, Toyota, would even think of building a Segway competitor. But they did, and it’s called the Winglet…
Officially called a “personal transport assistance robot,” the Winglet is supposed to “contribute to society by helping people enjoy a safe and fully mobile life,” ’cause walking is so damn hard, right? It’s powered by an electric motor and keeps it balance with a bunch of internal sensors. To move the Winglet, all the rider has to do is shift their body weight in the direction they want to go in. Unlike the Segway, the Winglet is gonna come in three sizes (small, medium and large) so you can choose whichever one feels more comfortable. The Winglet is expected to be in development until next year. We admit, they look a little hotter than the Segway, but we’ll stick with the MTA. Watch a video of the Winglet in motion below.
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I guess people dont take to fads as quickly. The Segway is cool but where can you really take it. And you can only go but so fast in them. These things will probably being end up sold in cars.
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Comment by Mike Hunt — August 4, 2008 #