The Interesting use of Segways in Sports
The Segway is a very interesting contraption. It is a two wheeled vehicle that a person rides standing up and it moves forward when the handles are pushed forward. This strange machine was supposed to become the next evolution in transport but it has been
slow to take off. One place where it has taken off though is in the sports and recreational industries. In sports a person can take part in Segway polo, a Segway rally and even Segway racing. On the recreational side a whole experience day industry has developed
where people can buy a whole day out that includes riding Segways and also sometimes racing them. Maybe over time this odd two-wheeler can become more popular and we will start to see them all over towns and cities.
The machine in question is actually called the Segway Human Transporter. It was invented by Dean Kamen, an American inventor and unveiled to the public in 2001. It is a very interesting vehicle which is controlled by a powerful onboard computer and gyroscopes
that sense a person’s movements while riding it. Actually driving it is pretty simple, to go forward a person simply leans forward slightly and the Segway goes forward, to go backwards a person only has to lean back slightly. Newer models have incorporated
turning handles that a driver can turn left or right and the vehicle responds by moving in that direction. They are powered by electricity and can be charged from any ordinary power source.
Over time, people started to find new ways to use the machines. They are intended to be used to ferry people around inside cities, but they have been trialled by courier companies, postal services and even the police force. They are a very inexpensive and
quick way for a police officer to patrol the streets and track down petty criminals. It was around this time as well that innovative people decided to try and use the Segways in sports. Three distinct sports were invented, some more popular than others; Segway
polo, Segway rally and Segway racing. Each is a different and unique take on an established sport and each is fun and exciting in its own way.
Segway polo is probably the best known of the three sports mentioned above. It is similar to the traditional sport of horse polo but it is done on Segways instead of using horses. Players use mallets to hit a ball and try and score goals in the opposing
team’s goal. It has been adapted from bicycle polo and horse polo into a new sport. At the moment the sport is gaining in popularity around the world and many teams have emerged from countries like America, New Zealand and Germany.
With the rising popularity a governing body called the International Segway Polo Association or ISPA for short was formed to oversee the sport. The first Segway polo championship took place in 2006 in Auckland, New Zealand. It has been held every year since
then in different places around the world. It is an exciting and fast paced sport that sees some of the best Segway riders in the world take each other on.
The other two sports using Segways are both types of motorsports. Segway rally driving is simply taking a Segway and driving it through rough terrain and completing a course in the fastest time possible. Segways are not very fast but it makes for exciting
driving when going over rough and uneven terrain and trying to manoeuvre around obstacles. Segway racing is similar to the rally version but it is done on flat terrain and Segways and drivers are pitted against each other. They try to complete a certain number
of laps around a circuit in the fastest time possible.
With the increasing popularity of low cost transport options and with the price of oil skyrocketing, these types of electric vehicles may be seen everywhere in the future. Segways are ahead of their time and using them in sports will increase their visibility
and will probably make people more interested in buying them on a large enough scale to make them a viable transport option. It is also likely that more sports featuring the Segway will emerge to entice players and viewers.
Tags: