Segway unveils self-balancing chair with a joystick

Segway has made a big reveal ahead of CES 2020. The newest S-Pod and KickScoot Air T15 are the newest duo to be added to the Segway-Ninebot transportation and service robotics line-up. But we have questions about the S-Pod is: Is it a wheelchair? An egg-mobile? Who is this even for?

In a press release, the company said it's “a first-class smart transporting pod for enclosed campuses such as airports, theme parks and malls. It is a safe, self-balancing vehicle that is operated by an intuitive assistive navigation panel.”

By the following verbiage: “first-class”, airports, theme parks, and malls” – it seems to be fit for a lazy adult stroller, a Silicon Valley tech CEO in a hurry, or maybe someone just looking for the thrill of attention riding in something that looks cool.

What are the perks? — Riders in the S-Pod don’t have to worry about leaning forward or backward to accelerate or slow down. Which means, this time around you won’t have to scoot but sit to enjoy the ride. According to Segway, features of the S-Pod include:

• Adjustable speeds up to 24 mph
• Remote control system through detachable built-in pad
• Wide angle views from seating
• Smooth spins and rotations for directional changes
• No tripping, thanks to the “brake” being placed by the shift

Scooters have become the “it” thing, popping up on many streets in major cities, small ones too. Segway sees the S-Pod as “the first step in Segway working towards their goal of bringing new transportation options to cities.”

And if you were wondering, “what’s with the weird-looking design?” Segway says it was actually inspired by Jurassic’s World’s Gyrosphere.

Hmm. Regardless, we’d definitely take a ride.