If you are not on board, i’d suggest you get on a Segway (swegway) board. You must have seen this new ‘personal transportation‘ device. Sound too nerdy? well it is maybe, but they are just too cool.
Forget your bike, put down your car keys and leave public transport to everyone else, the personal transportation device is the way to get about.
They come in a range of different products however the most common ones are self balancing boards, self balancing scooters, mini segways, hoverboards, powered skateboard and powered unicycles. There isn’t really a product group for these, but we’re branding them Personal Scooters or Personal Transporters.
These personal transporters are all battery powered devices that are either controlled by a remote like the Boosted Board, or are controlled by the balance of your body. Learning to ride them can be an interesting few minutes, so don’t forget to check out our recommended accessories to keep yourself safe.
If you’ve been engaged in any sort of social media in the past few months, then you would have seen the new craze taking off in personal transportation devices.
Ranging from two wheel self balancing scooters, right through to powered skateboards such as the Boosted Board, personal transportation devices are being ever more popular.
There are plenty of them on the market, and the media are covering them in the masses as they’re extremely fun and exciting to use. Not only that, they’re fairly portable however since they are a mode of transport, they will rarely be in your bag.
So, What exactly is a Segway Board (Swegway)?
A Segway Board (Swegway) is a Self Balancing Board with two wheels in which you can place your feet in between. It then registers the presence of the rider as soon as they place their feet on the board, calculating their center of mass and leveling itself and the rider in a split millisecond. The Swegway does all this whilst sustaining a safe corresponding speed. The technology behind detecting the body weight of the rider are gyroscopic receptors that work along side Fluid based Foot Sensors which pick up on when the body is moving right, left, forward or backwards and then moves in the corresponding fashion. Crazy huh!
Due to this technology called ‘Lean Steer Technology’ the rider is able to maneuver around with absolute joy and ease, just as if the Segway Board was an extension to the legs. The user is able to maneuver around any path or obstacle the user faces, it can move right, left, forwards and also backwards.
How does the Segway Board (Swegway) Work?
This really is a great technologically advanced gadget as it literally behaves completely in sync with the user and almost looks like its an extended body part!
The two small wheels work very similar to the legs, immediately balancing the center of mass to accommodate a misplacement or miss balance of one or both wheels, just like a humans legs would. The Electric motor behind the Swegway also work with its micro-processors in a similar fashion to the way that the muscles work with the bodies brain.
Working out thousands of calculations in a nanosecond through the brains complex structure and then sending the electronic pulses to the muscles, which are not far off how the Segway Boards micro-processor and electric motor respond.
When it comes to the inclining balance of the Segway Board, it also has ‘refined incline receptors’ which prevents the user from falling forwards or backwards in a similar way to the human bodies balancing systems we have located inside both ears. And just like the human brain, the Segway Board works in sync with its hardware perfectly, acknowledging all of the information sent from each of its parts immediately and allowing the user to enjoy a very smooth ride, allowing them to turn let or right immediately whilst maintaining a perfect balance for its user and the obstacles that it may face on its journeys.
See an example of the Segway Boards maneuverability…
So how fast does a Segway Board go and how long do I get on one battery charge?
The maximum speed of a Swegway is around 10-12 mph which is around 16-19 kph. The user can also shift gears allowing the Segway Board to increase through different speeds using the Leen Star Technology we talked about earlier, allowing the user to lean into the board to shift up or down its speed.
The average distance a Segway Board will likely get is around 7-9 Miles on one whole charge but some of the more advanced Segway board models have been known to get up to 24 miles on one charge! Although this all still does depend on speed, weight of the rider and terrain. The reason the Segway Board can travel so far on just one charge is due to its two lithium-ion rechargeable electric batteries which build up plenty of electrical juice when on charge. The Segway Board can be charged in any standard UK Electrical plug and will have plenty of juice for a long distance journey even after just a quarter of an hour charge. On a full charge though, as stated above, the Segway Board can travel between 7-9 Miles for a cheaper model or up to 24 miles on a full charge for the more advanced models!
What are the security features of a Segway Board?
In order to start up the Segway Board the driver requires a key controller specific to that certain segway board. This key controller also provides information to the driver such as its electric battery levels, the speed, general performance of the system and the details of the segways movement.
It also has a built-in Anti Theft System that locks up the wheels, sounds a security alarm and shakes the segway whilst it sends an alert to the key controller letting the owner know that someone is tampering or trying to steel the segway board. The owner will receive two key controllers for the segway, just like they would if they were to purchase a car.
So whats it like to travel around with a Segway Board (Swegway)?
Its actually a lot more appealing than you think! The Swegway is completely rain-proof so the owner can ride around in any weather and not have to worry about the electronical aspects of the segway getting damaged. The fact that the segway board is a zero-emission means of transport it can be used both indoors and out without worrying about any engine fumes expelled from it. The Segway Boards themselves only weigh about 10kgs and are not even a few foot long so can easily be places in a rucksack or travelling bag when you’re on the go and not able to use it.
What are the Segway Board (Swegway) weight limitations?
Most Segway Boards all have weight limits, which includes the individual rider and there cargo. That weight shouldn’t exceed anymore than 117 kg or 260 lbs. The Rider should also not weigh lighter than 45kgs or less than 100 lbs as some smaller children have been known to take off when riding one at high speeds if they are under the recommended weight… noo of course not, I kid! But still, make sure for safety reasons you keep note of these weights.
So, I think I know enough about Segway Boards (Swegway) now! So now down to digits… How much does a Segway Board cost and does it need any maintenance costs to keep it up and running?
A Segway Board will cost you anywhere between £200-500 [KES 31,200.00 to 78,000.00 without filtering in taxes and shipping costs] depending on quality, brand and model.
All Segway Boards have beautiful architectural designs but what differs between a model pricing will be the quality of the hardware inside it. I always suggest sticking to the best you can get on your budget, not compromising with cost in order to get something you’re going to be happy with, and a segway board that you’re going to be able to get your moneys worth out of! All models though should have plenty of years worth of joy in them and most will reimburse their costs from saving money on transport within the first year or two.
The great thing about Segway Boards too is that they have pretty much zero maintenance costs to them unlike most other modes of transport, and in today’s society even push bikes can get quite costly! Other than making sure the segways tire pressure is up to date, all the owner will need to do is assure that the segway boards charge is kept up to date prior to using it. This really is a gadget where the owner can save a lot of money on transport as well as using a mode of transport which emits zero-emissions and poses no risk to our eco system other than the small amount of electricity it takes to charge it.
Wow! There you have it, I believe that these has been informative enough for you to make informed decision when it comes to getting a Segway Board. To purchase one, I am sure right now there are local brick and mortar stare that sell them and you can also try online stores like, Amazon, eBay and Jumia for price comparison.
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