Singularity Signposts

August 2008
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31

OUR LINKS

YubaNet
White House Blog
Watts Up With That?
The Union
Sierra Thread
RL “Bob” Crabb
Barry Pruett Blog

Singularity Signposts – 4aug08

04 August 2008

George Rebane

Toyota has demonstrated a Segway knock-off called Winglet. This gadget is a “stand-up-and-ride contraption” that can go up to 3.7mph or about the pace of a brisk walk. One of the claimed target markets is the elderly who might use it on sidewalks and shopping malls. Japan has a rapidly aging population, and this may be one of the market ‘pulls’ motivating such a product. I believe the Winglet will need a higher top speed to sell in the mass market, and its current form will do nothing but promote sales of the Segway. But since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Toyota’s embracing this technology does secure the future of such person-movers that take up not much more than the floorspace of a person. Another step toward machine-augmented-man.

Posted in Singularity Signposts

2 responses to “Singularity Signposts – 4aug08”

Martin

05 August 2008

Our cousins across ‘the pond’ have been good at copying inventions. Somehow I can’t picture the target market for the Winglet being the elderly given the need for a steady balance and quick reflexes to avoid collisions. However, I can picture a sharp rise in broken hips, arms and heads which will impact Medicare.

LikeLike
Wayne Hullett

05 August 2008

I can see a use for these things for people who work in and have to move around large buildings such as warehouses. I have also seen a company that gives tours of Paris on Segways.
But what are these devices going to do for the worldwide increase in obesity that we are seeing? (Unless it has a GPS and software that prevents it from coming close to a fast food restaurant). If (older) people can’t walk, are there not wheel chairs? If they won’t walk, isn’t their health going to suffer? Since many of the elderly are retired, it is a challenge for them to get enough exercise anyway. I don’t see these machines really helping them.

LikeLike