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Segway reveals S-Pod motorized chair

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Most known for its two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters, Segway-Ninebot provides a first look at the S-Pod, which transfers the company’s signature stabilizing technology into a chair.  The futuristic wheelchair was reportedly inspired by the spherical gyrospheres in Jurrasic World used for transporting people around the park and closely parallels the infamous hoverchairs in Wall-E’s dystopian future.

While the standing scooters require drivers to lean forward or backward to control the movement, the S-Pod incorporates a navigation panel to determine the path and speed of the chair. Capable of reaching 24 miles per hour, the vehicle can also climb angles up to 10 degrees and last for 43 miles. The pod is also designed to detect and stop with shifts in the center of gravity, preventing it from tipping over. With uncertainty around federal regulations, the S-Pod is intended to be used in enclosed spaces like airports, malls and theme parks for the time being.

Segway plans to announce the S-Pod at CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Jan. 7 and start selling to the public sometime in 2021.

The S-Pod is powered by basically the same gyroscopic self-balancing technology as a traditional Segway. But unlike a traditional Segway, which is driven by leaning forward, backward, and to the sides, the S-Pod is controlled using a little joystick on the right side of the seat. Segway says its self-balancing technology will always keep the chair level and that the two-wheel setup will allow for quick changes in direction even while stopped. (That said, there are three more small wheels visible on the underside of the chair, presumably for moving the S-Pod while its motors aren’t on.)

The company also plans to reveal the APEX electric motorbike concept and self-driving scooter at the electronics trade show.

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