Fatal Segway accident.........
- Thread starter Miles
- Start date
liveforphysics
100 TW
Seems like a bizarre and unlikely tragedy. Just from reading the details, it made me think of a few things.
When someone nears a cliff, it's seldom done for the purpose of looking up, but rather to peer down.
When folks peer down, it's fairly human to shift body weight forward.
For a segway to balance, if weight shifts forward, it must move forward (assuming the weight shift is beyond the gyro's correction ability/duration).
When someone nears a cliff, it's seldom done for the purpose of looking up, but rather to peer down.
When folks peer down, it's fairly human to shift body weight forward.
For a segway to balance, if weight shifts forward, it must move forward (assuming the weight shift is beyond the gyro's correction ability/duration).
dingoEsride
100 kW
A more skilled business man than a rider
Floont
1 kW
.
I just read the article before I saw the thread here. I was thinking the same as LFP. If the Segway is controlled by body movements (leaning) in general. It seems to me that if you approached an edge to look down you would shift your weight forward causing the Segway to roll forward and off the edge.
If he approached parallel to the edge let's say the river was on his left, then leaning to the left tells the Segway to go left toward the edge again.
The average person would likely have the brakes on - perhaps he leaned out too far and he and the Segway toppled over the edge.
The investigation will likely have the answer, but the news will likely not promote (sensationalize) it, unless there's foul play. So we'll probably never know the answer.
FA
I just read the article before I saw the thread here. I was thinking the same as LFP. If the Segway is controlled by body movements (leaning) in general. It seems to me that if you approached an edge to look down you would shift your weight forward causing the Segway to roll forward and off the edge.
If he approached parallel to the edge let's say the river was on his left, then leaning to the left tells the Segway to go left toward the edge again.
The average person would likely have the brakes on - perhaps he leaned out too far and he and the Segway toppled over the edge.
The investigation will likely have the answer, but the news will likely not promote (sensationalize) it, unless there's foul play. So we'll probably never know the answer.
FA
bigmoose
1 MW
Sad story for sure. Read the articles on Jimi Heselden and he seems like a great chap. Self made man who worked his way up, and when his business hit it big; he gave an enormous amount back to people and servicemen in need. A great loss to society by his early death...
Lock
100 MW
Ironic, with press reports labeling his death as a "scooter" accident... Segway folks hate it when their rides are termed "scooters"... Reminds me of Mr.Roper who had a heart attack or stroke while riding his steam bicycle which the press then labeled his "fatal invention":
RIP Mr. Heselden... He might have been doing good things for Segway. One press report noted Segway sales were up 12% for the first half of this year over last.
loCk
RIP Mr. Heselden... He might have been doing good things for Segway. One press report noted Segway sales were up 12% for the first half of this year over last.
loCk
Lock
100 MW
Kingfish
100 MW
Most unfortunate, sad, and horrible. Condolences to the family. 
Life shouldn't be so cruel. KF
Life shouldn't be so cruel. KF
dnmun
1 PW
i doubt that. the first thing that comes to my mind is alcohol induced accident. that seems to be about 40% already, including the people who regularly fall off the cliffs here. but most likely a combination of age induced or perhaps medication induced reduction in reflexes after stumbling over a rock or obstruction. imagine hiking through a boulder field with your hands in your pocket, and drunk. but usually drunks don't make it as far as the boulder fields. they usually stay at the cooler.
Evoforce
10 kW
Life is more fragile than it appears. There is now saddness for all those lives he has touched. I hope others will step in and continue his good will. He will be greatly missed from what I read.
michaelplogue
10 kW
I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for this fellow.
$egway - with their massive multi-million dollar lobbying machine - has had a huge detrimental effect on the use of other two-wheel electric scooters throughout the United States (and the world). As a result, in many places $egways are the only legal form of electric scooter allowed to be used - based on the made-to-order definitions included in the legislation that these lobbiests foisted on state and city governments (non-tandem two wheeled, self balencing electric mobility device that does not exceed 12 mph). It will take years - if not decades - to remove this knife that this company has stuck in the back of every small electric scooter business.
In my opinion, this jerk and his company has done more damage to the EV cause than anyone else out there - all out of pure eff'in greed.
A song by Elvis Costello comes to mind
"And when they finally put you in the ground,
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down...."
.
$egway - with their massive multi-million dollar lobbying machine - has had a huge detrimental effect on the use of other two-wheel electric scooters throughout the United States (and the world). As a result, in many places $egways are the only legal form of electric scooter allowed to be used - based on the made-to-order definitions included in the legislation that these lobbiests foisted on state and city governments (non-tandem two wheeled, self balencing electric mobility device that does not exceed 12 mph). It will take years - if not decades - to remove this knife that this company has stuck in the back of every small electric scooter business.
In my opinion, this jerk and his company has done more damage to the EV cause than anyone else out there - all out of pure eff'in greed.
A song by Elvis Costello comes to mind
"And when they finally put you in the ground,
I'll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down...."
.
bigmoose
1 MW
Miles said:
Right, the original developer and owner of the Segway company was Dean Kamen who's core company is named Deka Research and Development I believe. He did all the lobbying and such. Made his fortune in medical electronics, then began "playing" through Deka. He teamed with Woody Flowers of MIT to create FIRST Robotics to inspire high school students to excel in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology a yearly robotics competition. He originally wanted to power the Segway with a Stirling Power Converter for greater range. His house, or I should say, estate, is a real trip. You enter the front door and there is a 10 foot high Stirling Engine running, partly powering the estate. His living room is literally a class 100,000 clean room machine shop, right in the middle of the house. Helipad on the back for his personal chopper so he doesn't have to deal with traffic jams. Always wears jeans. Interesting character on the level of an Edison.
Hillhater
100 TW
michaelplogue said:
I think you have your wires crossed up there Michael..
As pointed out by others, "this fellow"...Jimi Heselden, ... was not responsible for the legislation you site. quite the contrary,, he was merely an industrialist who recently took over the operation. As an individual, he was well liked in his home town and respected by those who knew him as a ex miner who worked his way up.
Further, your point about... "Segway are the only legal form of electric scooter allowed to be used -".. in many places , is somewhat distorted.
Infact, in many countries, Segways are specifically banned from use on public roads or places..private land use only.
Evoforce
10 kW
Thanks for the update!
It pisses me off big time that the segway is effectively banned in the UK. along with the pathetic limits on ebike wattage, it really puts the dampers on any realistic alternatives to the car. The UK is a nice compact place..There are a lot of places where segways would work very well. Jimi Heselden was a real salt of the earth kind of guy, who i think could have made a much more convincing argument for segways in the UK than someone like Dean Kamen. I wonder where this will go now.
Don't get me wrong, I am not one of these segway fan boys who think they could have changed the face of human civilisation, but they were/are a definite step in the right direction, and great fun to ride as well.
Don't get me wrong, I am not one of these segway fan boys who think they could have changed the face of human civilisation, but they were/are a definite step in the right direction, and great fun to ride as well.
