New Segway is Eerily Similar to WALL-E

If you loved Segways but hated the indignity of standing up, you’re in luck.

Just when you thought personal transportation couldn’t get any dorkier, Segway-Ninebot introduces the S-Pod – a device that lets you balance on two wheels without the slightest possibility of accidentally burning a calorie.

And, yes, the S-Pod could cater to folks with disabilities, but let’s face it – it’s a perfect match for society’s increasingly sedentary lifestyle, putting us 10 steps closer to the future envisioned in WALL-E.

Whereas the Segway forced you to lean forward and backward to accelerate – the unspeakable torture! – the S-Pod replaces that marathon of effort with a navigation panel and a manually operated control knob.

So, yes, it’s exactly like those motorized chairs from WALL-E (plus some spiffy wheels).

A glimpse into our future?

Again, this could have medical applications, but I think Gizmodo sums it up perfectly – “the S-Pod is in no way being positioned as a replacement for self-powered wheelchairs, and it appears to cater to mostly able-bodied passengers.”

Also, the S-Pod needs power to operate (for an admittedly impressive range of 44 miles), and disabled individuals can’t risk being stranded without any juice.

The S-Pod will zip along at brisk speeds up to 25 mph, and as Gizmodo points out, it’s not nearly as accommodating as a wheelchair. So, yeah, it really is for Joe Schmoe who doesn’t feel like using his legs, not for folks who can’t use them.

Read more here: https://gizmodo.com/segway-makes-a-self-balancing-stroller-for-adults-1840683024