Segway's New Egg-Shaped S-Pod Is a Futuristic People Mover
Yes, we get that Segway's latest creation looks a lot like those floating chairs from Wall-E.
Segway says the S-Pod was inspired by the gyroscopes from Jurassic World and uses the same technology as its standing scooters.
Instead of leaning, though, you control the S-Pod using a knob that changes the vehicle's center of gravity.
The potential for pop culture references here is vast. Let's start with what Segway itself says about its new S-Pod egg-shaped seated scooter. The company best known for giving tourists the chance to see new cities without that pesky walking thing says that the S-Pod was inspired by the gyrospheres in the new Jurassic World movies. Star Wars fans who want to take their Mandalorian cosplay to the next level will convert one of these to hold their Baby Yoda dolls. And, as fandom asked on Twitter, have we learned nothing from Wall-E?
But to bring this all back to the real world, the newest self-balancing vehicle from Segway-Ninebot (Ninebot is a Chinese company that bought Segway in 2015) is basically a sit-down version of the famous Segway scooter and uses the same gyroscopic self-balancing technology that the stand-up models use. Able to move at speeds up to 24 mph, the S-Pod is meant for closed campuses. Since you can't lean forward or backward to control your speed in the S-Pod the way you do on a standing Segway scooter, the S-Pod uses an "adaptive center-of-gravity automatic control system to enable the passenger to easily adjust the speed by handling the knob to change the center of gravity in the pod," according to the company's announcement. There are tiny wheels at the front and back of the S-Pod to give the chair a way to rest when it's not powered on.
Segway-Ninebot will officially reveal the S-Pod and more details about the new device at CES, which starts this weekend. Segway-Ninebot will also show off two new electric scooters at the show: the Ninebot eMoped, which looks like a standard seated scooter, and the KickScooter Air T15 (above). The $699 T15 is more like a traditional standing scooter, the kind kids stand on with one foot and push with the other. This one has been updated with a Smart Kick system, which allows adults to use this same physical action, both to start the scooter moving and to control its speed. Each time you use your foot to speed up, the T15's motor speed increases, basically setting your "cruise control" at a higher level, up to 12.4 mph. You slow down by using the little brake step on the back wheel. Or, if you're the clumsy type, by just falling down.
Segway-Ninebot says the S-Pod will debut in the third quarter of 2020, with consumer sales likely to start in 2021. The company is not announcing the price for the S-Pod at this time.
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