A photoblog on my country as seen through my eyes and wheels
The Singtel Hello! buidling at Somerset Road.
Just on the way out with the slope around the corner.
No marking to indicate a step nor a slope.
At the very edge, the danger is still not apparent.
A combination of slope and step is highly dangerous for both walkers and wheelchair travellers.
"S'pore police patrols - batteries included.
177 words
20 May 2003
Straits Times
English
(c) 2003 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
THE Singapore Police Force has bought battery-operated scooters which will go on trial from next month, possibly at Changi Airport.
These scooters have only standing room and cost S$8,541 each.
Made in the United States, the 'vehicles' are called Segway Human Transporters.
They have a top speed of 20kmh, are quiet and produce no exhaust fumes. Each vehicle can be used non-stop for a full day, and can negotiate rough terrain like gravel and sand.
The Segway is said to have been developed at a cost of US$100 million (S$172 million), and has sensors which mimic the body's ability to maintain its balance.
It has no brakes and no accelerator. It has only handle bars to change direction.
The rider has to lean forward to move the vehicle, and lean back to slow down or to stop it.
The police declined to reveal how many machines they have bought. They said that they will be exploring how the Segways can be used for patrols."
"A motorised pogo stick with a big price tag.
By Christopher Tan.
769 words
5 July 2003
Straits Times
English
(c) 2003 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
THE Segway Human Transporter is one of those things that seem like a brilliant idea at the time, but is actually rather silly when you sit down to think about it.
And here's the thing, isn't it? You can't sit down on the Segway. You have to stand upright at all times while trying not to look like a squirrel sniffing the air - or poor grandma balancing on her stainless steel walking frame.
Imagine being in that frozen pose for 10 minutes. Besides appearing dorky, think of the aching thigh and calf muscles at the end of the journey.
Where are we going on this thing, whose price ranges from US$5,000 (S$8,800) to US$8,000 - depending on the model? No one is really sure. Many city authorities are not allowing it on roads or sidewalks. And as motorised scooters are also not allowed in parks in many cities - including Singapore - the only place to use it is in a private compound. Or at the airport.
But even if it is allowed on roads and pavements, why use the Segway? Besides being expensive, it is cumbersome (it weighs 30kg to 40kg), has little room for anything else besides your two feet, and has limited speed and range.
Its manufacturer says it has a speed of between 8kmh and 27kmh, and claims it won't hurt anyone in a collision. At 27kmh, that's somehow doubtful. It also says its battery has a range of about 27km. Within these parameters, won't walking, cycling or taking the train be just as efficacious?
In fact, a bicycle is a much more superior mode of transport. It allows you to sit down, move your limbs, carry quite a lot of stuff (including junior in the child seat), and work out a little. On a bicycle, if your legs ache, there is at least an upside: burnt calories and a firmer bottom.
On the Segway, you're merely telling the world you have the means to own an expensive toy that can embarrass you the way it embarrassed United States President George W. Bush. The contraption is clearly the emperor's new clothes. No one wants to admit they don't see the logic of it, perhaps for fear of being branded an ignoramus or a technophobic.
And now the Singapore Police Force has become the latest agency to try out the gyroscopic wonder. Rumour has it that they want to order 100 units. It is tragic. Our men in blue need to look dignified when doing their rounds. Perched lazily on a Segway, they not only do not look dignified, but they also do not inspire confidence.
Fine if the gadget flies or floats. But we're not even sure how waterproof it is.
Years ago, when the Traffic Police ordered a fleet of BMW motorcycles, word had it that it raised eyebrows in very high places. The purchase was deemed extravagant (a Beemer bike costs easily twice a Japanese equivalent).
Now, the Segway? For the price, one could get a nifty scooter - either petrol-or electric-driven. Or four or five mid-range bicycles. Bicycles are practically maintenance-free. They don't have to be recharged either.
With its intricate mechanisms and sophisticated batteries, the Segway is unlikely to be as hassle-free.
Segway-maker Dean Kamen, an American billionaire, would have done humanity a lot more good if he had devised the self-balancing two-wheeler as a way for old or infirm people to get around. Or if he had wanted to make something really just for fun, perhaps he should have improved on the pogo stick.
As for his hope of it replacing the car, fat chance. The thing doesn't come with air-conditioning or off-road tyres. And where do you hang the furry dice from?
Mr Kamen was in town recently to do a personal show-and-tell for the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Here's a question: Would he have come if the Segway was selling well in America? Nevertheless, the engineers within the LTA must have been impressed, as they are mostly impressed with all things new and 'techie' (like driverless trains). But it is reassuring to know that this time, they have not given the Segway the green light to ply our streets.
Then again, perhaps they should have. Then, at least residents living near the Buangkok MRT station can ride to a train station on the North-East Line that is open."
"Prime News
Easy riders in Holland V
David Boey
393 words
28 May 2005
Straits Times
English
(c) 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
TWO-WHEELED contraptions that look like pogo sticks on wheels have become new head-turners in the Holland Village area, after people there were invited to try the gadgets last week.
The devices, which cost between US$5,000 (S$8,335) and US$8,000, are called Segway Human Transporters. These are battery-powered platforms with motorised wheels and handle bars to change direction.
They have no brakes and no accelerator, and can hit speeds of up to 20kmh. A rider leans forward to move it, and leans back to slow down or stop it.
Five of the vehicles are available at Holland Village as part of a trial by industrial landlord JTC Corporation, and SiS Technologies, the Segway's local distributor, to introduce people to the devices.
They are parked in front of Holland Village Shopping Centre from Monday to Thursday between 3pm and 7pm, and between noon and 7pm from Friday to Sunday. They will be there till the end of next month.
Anyone can have a go on one, for free. Guides will teach them how to use the vehicles.
Holland Village was chosen as it is within easy reach of the 200ha research and innovation hub in Buona Vista, called one-north, said JTC Corp, the hub's master developer, on Thursday.
The trial is part of efforts to 'introduce new technologies in one-north' as the area is a 'test-bedding hub for new innovations and technologies'.
It sees the Segway, which is recharged by being plugged into the mains, as a possible 'alternative mode of transport' that is 'both environmentally friendly and could potentially reduce the need for cars for travelling short distances'.
When it was unveiled by its American inventor in December 2001, it was hailed as a way to ease inner-city congestion by giving motorists an alternative to cars.
In October 2003, about 6,000 of the machines were recalled by their maker because they could tip over when riders continued to use them despite being alerted that the battery was low.
The problem was fixed by upgrading the software that controls the machine's balance.
Segways, which are used at Heathrow Airport by British police, were tested by the police here at Changi Airport in 2003, but they decided not to have them."
