In the 90s, as soon as the first prototypes and prototypes of the Segway appeared, hardly anyone thought that gyro scooters would compete with them. Today, these devices on the market are fighting fiercely with each other, but the main task was to provide personal electric vehicles, they decided very successfully.
A bit of history
Segway was created in 2001. The device developer is Dean Kamen. Its significant advantage was the lack of the need to maintain balance when riding thanks to gyroscopes (horizontal sensors). After the advent of Segway, the developers thought about how to reduce the cost and facilitate this type of transport, and this idea was embodied in a gyro scooter. The first such device was registered as a new vehicle in the United States and was called Hoverboard, and its inventor was the founder of Inventist, Shane Chen.
Since 2013, the demand for a gyro scooter in China has increased dramatically - it was ten times cheaper than a Segway. In 2014, Chinese developers brought to the people the Smart S1 hoverboard model. From that moment, the gyro scooter market began to develop rapidly - the Chinese company Chic, which is the holder of a license, allowed many other electrical companies to manufacture gyro scooters under various trademarks.
Difference in appearance
A Segway looks like a trolley with two wheels and a handle. Thanks to the small platform on the Segway, any cargo can be additionally transported, be it bags placed on the platform and suspended on the steering wheel with purchases from the supermarket, or, for example, suitcases with tools. And although the gyro scooter and the segway are types of dicycles, the difference between them is significant. The mass of the segway in the assembly reaches 50 kg.A gyro scooter has it no more than 15 kg. Cheap and lightweight models weigh 2.5 times less, which makes it easy to carry a gyro scooter in a sports bag on your shoulder like a skateboard.
It will not be a problem to put it in the bag storage compartment in the hypermarket or bring it to the school, university, office, hospital hall while you are inside the building.
A large mass of Segway allows him to use a more capacious (10-15 ampere-hours) battery. But this will not give a significant mileage on a single charge compared to a gyro scooter: the difference is compensated by the greater mass of the segway and the ability to carry cargo, and this requires motors that are more than 3 times more powerful. You will get the same effect from the hoverboard with its 5 amp battery. The supply voltage of both is 24-84 volts, but they are charged from a 110/127/220 V. power adapter.
A kind of Segway, which replaced the large (classic) model - mini-Segway. Its advantages are combined with the gyro scooter of those models, which include a folding steering handrail. The gyro scooter has less foot space 2-3 times, so an attempt to put something else in this place will lead to a loss of balance, frequent falls of the user and premature failure of the device. The diameter of the wheels of the gyro scooter is close to scooter. In a Segway, it is commensurate with a bicycle.
Management Differences
Segway makes it easy to maintain balance thanks to the steering rack, which the driver simply holds on to while riding. The gyro scooter does not have a steering wheel - to turn in the right direction, you need to bend a little into it. Despite the fact that the Segway does not have a third wheel (otherwise it would have been a trike), keeping balance on it is not as necessary as on an electric skateboard, gyro scooter or electric scooter.
The Segway is controlled mainly by tilting the body without transferring the center of gravity from one leg to the other or from socks to heels, as happens in a gyro scooter. But it cannot turn around on the spot, as a gyro scooter does, but due to large inflatable wheels it will pass even along a country or gravel road.
The gyro scooter will not carry the user on itself if it is, for example, a child under 4. Many models do not start moving when the load on the mass of the rider is less than 30 kg. This is partly done to prevent experiments with infants or toddlers and pets. For example, a trained dog or cat will not be able to ride a gyro scooter. Segway has no such limitation.
The similarities in controlling a gyro scooter and a segway are as follows:
- Gyroscopes - sensors that monitor the strictly horizontal position of the device directly participate in maintaining the balance of the user.
- To start moving forward, you need to deviate a little from the vertical position.
- The operation of both devices is controlled by a software unit built on the basis of a 32-bit processor. Its performance is comparable to a PC based on Intel Pentium 4 processors, the peak of sales of which occurred in 2002-2003. To control a segway and a gyro scooter, performance is not needed, as on powerful gaming laptops equipped with 8-core processors. With the main task - clear and well-coordinated management, a single-core processor is also corrected. This is one of the reasons why gyro scooters are not so expensive - and continue to get cheaper.
- Both the Segway and the scooter drive along the road with a slope of 15-25 degrees. An attempt to enter a steeper slope will not end well - you will either overheat the engines or roll back if the slope is too steep. And on that, and on another vehicle you will not drive on the ramp.
Which is better to choose?
In terms of economy, it is better to choose a hoverboard. Its cost starts from 7000 rubles. Kilometer from one full charge - from 10 km, this is enough for those who do not like to walk for a long time. This is a great gift for a child or teenager.
Despite the fact that the gyro scooter is not designed for the transport of goods, many users go to the trick, which consists in the following. If you, for example, weigh 80 kg, and a gyro scooter can withstand 110, it’s logical to use a backpack when shopping, which, for example, are cycling tourists and travelers. Having loaded the backpack up to 20-25 kg, it is permissible to come very close to the “safety margin” of the gyro scooter.
Carrying ordinary bags in your hands while riding a hoverboard can easily lead to an accident: when the user accidentally leads to the left, and he needs to continue driving straight, he will turn in the wrong direction and fall under the car or knock down a random passerby. It’s a bit more difficult to control the movement of a hoverboard with a loaded backpack - it will be harder to tilt and control the tilt, but dexterity in this case also comes quickly enough. Using this advantage, it is logical to do without an expensive Segway.
In speed, the gyro scooter is several kilometers per hour behind the segway. The typical speed of the first reaches today 15 km / h, which is comparable to teenage bicycles. The second has a speed of 20, which keeps him on an equal footing with road bikes for adults. Theoretically, according to the SDA, the speed of segways and gyro scooters, scooters, electric skateboards and electric bicycles is limited to 30 km / h in order to reduce road accidents.
Some adult users are afraid that they will fall off the gyroscope with a sharp bend forward or backward before it starts to move or slows down. Those whose fears have already been confirmed in practice with a lower-quality model, bought in pursuit of economy, are trying to equip the hoverboard with an additional design with a turning third wheel, such as that used on wheelchairs. The design is welded to a standard steel base, and the device, in fact, turns into a wheelless trike.
Sophisticated do-it-yourselfers go even further and throw low-quality gyro sensors and electronic controls out of Chinese models. They put additional lithium-ion batteries in the free space, leaving the standard engines and installing a single driver board for them. Declared mileage increases at least 1.5 times. But control requires a wired power button on the cord, which the user holds in his hand while driving. As a result, such an alteration costs on average several times cheaper than buying a full Segway.
Also, the gyro scooter can be converted into a mini-segway by manufacturing and attaching to the base an aluminum structure with a third (steering) wheel, like the one used in electric scooters. All these transformations push experienced users to buy a gyro scooter, not a Segway. Manufacturers are also not silent: in the kit for a gyro scooter, a removable sliding steering base is sometimes relied on.
The larger the diameter of the wheels, the easier it is for the user to drive through bumps and cracks in the road. Cast wheels with a diameter of 6-9 inches are designed for asphalt or perfectly evenly fitted tiles. Inflatable wheels in 10-14 inches will pass even on broken asphalt.
Be sure to choose a model of a hoverboard with flashing or marker lights - this will make you noticeable on the road at night. For all-weather trips, give preference to the model of a hoverboard equipped with waterproof rubberized and silicone inserts. Get elbow pads, knee pads and a helmet - they will prevent serious injury. The presence of additional accessories and features like Bluetooth-connection and an MP3 player with a speaker is a matter of taste.
Segway would be chosen by people with excess body weight, congenital or acquired diseases of the cardiovascular system or musculoskeletal system, or users of advanced age. But the cost of this device, approaching the price of a supported foreign car, repels even this contingent.
On a Segway, it’s difficult to turn around when driving in a stream of people. The gyro scooter is different in this and is able to turn and turn around, almost without moving out of the same place. These shortcomings of the Segway do not leave the vast majority of users with practical choices.
About what the difference between a hoverboard and a segway is, see the video below.
