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News from Segway at the show is that our Robotics Mobility Platforms (RMPs) are now compatible with Gostai open source development software. To show off what we mean, what better way than having Nao take a joyride!

Others at the show include Willow Garage, which is making a splash with its telepresence bots.

For more information on Segway RMPs, head over to the minisite and be sure to follow @SegwayRMP on Twitter.

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Photo courtesy Segway Colombia.

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Here are a couple of additional videos from the EN-V unveiling last week in Shanghai:

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]
Jiao (Pride) takes to the runway.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]
The three EN-V models show off their agility.

The units are now being prepped for the opening of the SAIC/GM Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai.

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After a brief introduction with statistics about the future of urbanization and auto usage, the three EN-V concepts took to the stage to show off their personality.

First up was Miao (Magic) sporting a cabin that was designed at GM’s Hollywood center.

Then came Xiao (Laugh), which demonstrated its autonomous operation capability among a group of young karate students.

Finally, sporting its fashion sense, Jiao (Pride) took to the runway among a choreographed group of paparazzi accompanied by a top Chinese model.

At the conclusion of the event, the media swarmed the EN-V concepts to get a first-hand look and talk with spokespeople from GM/SAIC and Segway.

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An artist rendering of the Jiao EN-V concept in Shanghai, China. Courtesy of General Motors.

Live from Shanghai, Segway is pleased to show the results of a collaboration with General Motors and its joint venture partner SAIC. At a media event in China today, the companies demonstrated three EN-V concept vehicles – all of which are powered by a Segway-developed chassis and electric drivetrain that take dynamic stabilization to a whole new level. The vehicles are our expression of the Expo’s theme “Better City, Better Life.”

Meet Jiao (Pride), Xiao (Laugh), and Miao (Magic). Courtesy of General Motors.

You may recall last year in New York seeing an early version of what we’re unveiling today. The P.U.M.A. prototype was quickly developed as an early demonstration of what’s possible when you take the minimalist elegance of the Segway PT and apply it to multi-passenger vehicles. We’ve been working hard since then to add capability to get to what you see today in the EN-V vehicles: more power, more range, more speed, more payload, and the capability for autonomous operations, and interconnectivity.

EN-V cabin overlaid on Segway's proprietary chassis and electric drivetrain

See a video of this below. [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Segway Advanced Development
With the Segway PT, you get personal transportation like none other. It’s compact, clean, and even fun to use. With the EN-V, you get all that in a two-person package that sets the vision for transportation in 2030. Segway worked closely with GM to create a powerful platform that could stand up to the demands of repeated use throughout the Expo. We created it as an open platform for customization so the control and the dynamics can even be customized to the driver’s preferences.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

How does it work?
Segway took a technological leap by linking the chassis containing the electronics, sensors, motors, and wheels by an articulated slide mechanism to a rectangular section that houses the batteries. That section contains the equivalent of eight standard Segway PT batteries that are joined to function as one. They’re clean when in use and overall, the vehicle is about five times as energy efficient as the average U.S. passenger car. The battery section is also the mount point for the coaches, which were designed by three different GM design studios around the world.

A look at the inner workings of the Segway-developed EN-V chassis and electric drivetrain

This articulated drivetrain can autonomously power itself up from its parked state on the small front two parking wheels by shifting its center of mass and moving the two primary drive wheels. Once in this balanced and dynamically-stabilized state, it can continue to operate autonomously, be driven manually, or a combination of the two based on input from its many sensors.

Why dynamic stabilization?

Dynamic stabilization is the best way to carry a significant amount of mass up high. Think about when you walk. You have a high center of gravity (somewhere in your midsection). To keep from falling over, you move your feet to always stay underneath that center of gravity point. In the EN-V concept, there’s the ability to carry two people in the coach over a very small footprint. The laws of physics prevent the same sort of fluid performance in a simple four-wheel configuration with similar mass distribution. As an added benefit, you also get the ability to literally turn on a dime, which enables extremely tight operation and parking.  If we ever want to really deal with congestion, we need to explore the reduced footprint and high maneuverability that balancing vehicles like the EN-V can offer.

Mechanics are only half the story.
While Segway’s efforts were focused on how to power the EN-V concepts, demonstrating the power of connectivity is also a primary goal of General Motors and its partner SAIC. And it’s impressive.

Here are a few selected capabilities present in the EN-V:

• Ever wished for a “virtual valet?” Imagine clicking a button on your phone as you’re finishing dinner to have your vehicle find its way to you. Using an array of GPS and other sensors, the EN-V is at your service.
• Platoon away. One of the biggest creators of pollution is the “stop-and-go” effect in traffic. You know, like those times when you sit stuck in traffic, only to speed up shortly later and wonder why it is you were stopped.  Because EN-V’s can talk to each other, there’s no need for human reaction time to cause slag. They can join up and travel closely together via dedicated lanes to get you where you need to go.
• Sensing. Sensing. Sensing. Avoid collisions from other vehicles and obstacles too using vision, ultrasonic, and Doppler sensors.
• Connect and consume social networking/infotainment content. The lack of a traditional steering column and dashboard means that options are endless for customized content. Connect with other drivers, pull in other services, get smarter about your commute.

The EN-V vehicles will be the main stars at the GM/SAIC pavilion at the World Expo starting May 1. Today’s demonstration in Shanghai was the first time the public have seen the vehicles, which will be part of a choreographed performance operating 30 times per day for the six month duration of the Expo. If you plan to be in Shanghai, please attend the Expo and make reservations to stop by the GM/SAIC pavilion.

Stay tuned to The Last Mile for more updates from China. If you’re not already following us on Twitter, do so @SegwayInc and look for the #GMenv hashtag.

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We thank the Boston Globe for the opportunity to continue a public dialogue about the appropriate use of Segway PTs in Boston. We want to make it perfectly clear: Allan Danley, proprietor of Boston Gliders, is not an employee nor representative of Segway Inc. either as an authorized dealer nor tour operator.

Segway Inc. has long supported efforts to have its product properly regulated, thus ensuring its safe usage on public ways. In fact, since 2001 Segway Inc. has supported efforts within the Massachusetts Legislature to properly regulate Segway PTs, as the majority of U.S. states do, while also providing for local government control.

Throughout the world, Segway PTs are being used commercially, such as in neighborhood policing to personally for commuting to work. The fact that people are turning to the zero emissions Segway PT over gas-powered vehicles is encouraging. As well, thousands of people each year visit Authorized Segway Tour providers, ensuring that both they and the operator are meeting the highest safety standards and abiding by all applicable state and local laws.

Segway Inc. welcomes the opportunity for further dialogue with state and city officials, community and neighborhood groups to insure proper and appropriate usage of the Segway PT.

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Cutting congestion and transport emissions, increasing mobility and improving use of urban areas and space are key political issues. Electric personal transporters (including the Segway PT) could help to provide a contribution to the solution of such problems and encourage modal shift away from cars in urban areas.

The consultation presents a unique opportunity to find an immediate solution which would allow the government, individuals, local authorities, police forces and security organizations to embrace these environmentally-friendly, sustainable, and innovative technologies.  If you’re a Segway PT owner/supporter/enthusiast, we urge you to consider responding positively to the consultation.

Submitting a response won’t take long.  Here’s a copy of a Segway Inc. corporate response and a copy of a submission from a London user. Feel free to use both examples to help you complete the response document.  Once completed, it should be returned by Tuesday, March 30th to the EPV Consultation at the Department for Transport via e-mail at EPVconsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk or  by writing to Zone 2/04, Great Minister House, 76 Marsham Street, LONDON SW1P 4DR.

We also encourage you to share this with others to help us gain as much support for swift regulatory approval. You can do that by using the Share/Save link just below the post.

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Additionally, Segway also received funding that will be used to support the continued growth of the company.

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