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03 August 2008

Toyota Winglet



Segway, meet the Toyota Winglet

Posted by Leslie Katz 
    Toyota Winglet

    A Toyota employee displays a Winglet prototype at the company's showroom in Tokyo. She is riding the medium-size scooter.

    (Credit: AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

    Toyota Motor on Friday showed off a new stand-up scooter that could one day be seen zipping alongside the Segway on the personal-transporter superhighway.

    The "Winglet" has a body the size of an A3 sheet of paper thathouses an electric motor, two wheels, and internal sensors thatconstantly monitor the rider's position and make adjustments in powerto ensure stability.

    A parallel link mechanism lets riders go forward, backward,and turn by shifting body weight, making the Winglet potentially usefulfor maneuvering in tight spaces or crowded urban environments.

    Riders can cruise around at a leisurely 3.7 mph--not idealfor rushing to a meeting, but nice for scooting around a shopping mall,perhaps. (The Segway, by comparison, can hit 12.5 mph.)

    The Winglet comes in small, medium, and large sizes ranging inheight from 18 inches to 3 feet 8 inches, with handlebars that alsorise to different levels. All three models are about 18 inches wide and10 inches long. The smallest version weighs 22 pounds, and can befolded and tossed into a (big) bag for optimal shoulder dislocation.All versions of the device take an hour to charge.

    No word yet on when we might see commuters atop thecontraptions. The company will start testing the vehicle this fall at aJapanese airport and a seaside resort. More testing is planned for 2009at shopping complexes and other bustling locales.

    Winglet prototypes

    The Winglet comes in three sizes, which also have different handlebar heights.


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