Just under a year ago, Jimi Heselden, a 62-year-old businessman, became the chairman of Segway, Inc. He has recently died, as he drove a Segway off a cliff into a river according to police. The police are not treating the death as suspicious, and have said that they do not believe anyone else was involved, and it was believed to be an accident.
Segways are battery-powered and only have two wheels, yet thanks to their clever software, gyroscopes can stabilize them. The PTs (personal transporters) are environmentally friendly, as they use no fossil fuels and can be powered using renewable energy sources. They can travel at a top speed of 20km/h for around an hour on one battery.
Segway, Inc was founded in the 1990s when they were created by inventor Dean Kamen. In 2002, Segway sold its first three transporters for almost $365,000. The PT still costs a lot today, however they are slowly coming down in price.
The popular transporter has now branched out across the world, with many countries, including the U.K., the U.S. and China being home to Segways. Despite their popularity, it is still illegal to use a Segway in many countries, other than on private land, meaning that the i2 Commuter which is “Designed for your daily commute” might not actually be that useful!
Last year, Dean Kamen sold the company to business millionaire Jimi Heselden. The company is still successful, but now has a very dark chapter in its history, from which it will need to recover.
R.I.P. Jimi Heselden.
Article comments
1 - NancyGail
I get the offroad test, but why would anybody use the cliffs as the spot?
2 - Alan Kurtz
NancyGail, there is no mention in the above article of any test. I've read the obits linked to Heselden's Wikipedia page, and none of them mentions a test. They all report he lost control of his ruggedized version Segway as he travelled along a bridleway on his country estate in West Yorkshire, England. That sounds to me like ordinary recreational use.
Apparently you're the only one who believes his death involved a test. Where did you come up with that?