Great Moments In The History Of The Segway

With a new four-wheeled version set to debut, take a look back at the ups and down of the two-wheeled invention's career.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead


The New York International Auto Show starts this Friday (April 10th), and GM and Segway are expected to unveil a collaborative project that is essentially a two-person sit-down version of the Segway, everyone's favorite love-to-hate invention of the early 2000s. This new project, named P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), is poised to take what's left of the 45 year-old and paid software development set by storm.

Let us not forget the storied history of the Segway, though! These things are awesome, from Cops running down gunmen to Arrested Development's Gob showing how an executive can make the lamest device in the world classy. Hit the jump for a brief history the Segway...

2002: THE FIRST SEGWAY GOES INTO PRODUCTION
segwayorigins
• There's your dude, Dean Kamen. He's a New Hampshire tinkerer, who figured out a way to jam a bunch of gyroscopes into your scooter for a little less than $6,000. After its 2001 unveiling, the device is hyped beyond any reasonable sales goals and is going to "change the world we live in". The city of San Francisco, unfortunately, says "absolutely not," and bans the device from SF sidewalks. Other cities follow suit, giving the device a rocky start.

2003: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT DEBUTS ON TELEVISION
arresteddevelopment
• What does this have to do with the Segway? Gob's transportation of choice, of course. The Segway doesn't get much play until season two, but this show had a lot to do with reminding people that the machines existed, and that they could be awesomely bad. If you've never seen this, Netflix all three seasons now.

2006: WEIRD AL YANKOVIC - "YEAH THESE SUCK"

• Well, probably not, actually.

APRIL 2009: SEGWAY AND GM PRESENT THE P.U.M.A
segwaypuma
• There it is folks, and if you want to see more, get yourself over to the Javits Center in NYC this weekend.

Latest in Sports