Segway’s futuristic personal transporter, a 24mph self-balancing pod inspired by the vehicles seen in the Jurassic World movie, crashed during a demonstration at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.
The electric S-Pod, steered via a joystick on its armrest, was being tested by a journalist who accidentally accelerated before crashing into a wall. The company said no one was hurt.
Segway marketing director Jeff Wu said the concept model of the S-Pod did not have a safety belt but the company intended to add one.
Tech analyst Ross Rubin said the crash was not “a total loss” and added: “It is still a sign to the public that the company is close to the finished product.”
Segway drew inspiration for the vehicle, right, from the gyrosphere — the glass ball transport pod in Jurassic World.
It looks like an egg-shaped wheelchair and is designed to be used in enclosed areas such as airports, shopping centres and theme parks.
Despite the mishap, Segway hopes it will be on sale in 2021, although the price has yet to be revealed.
It is just one of thousands of cutting-edge gadgets unveiled at CES, the world’s biggest tech showcase.
- Mark Blunden flew as a guest of Virgin Atlantic, which flies the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner daily from Heathrow to Las Vegas. More details: virginatlantic.com
