Segway Readies Remote-Controlled Scooter Tech

Segway-Ninebot Group says it has developed an electric scooter that can be guided to a central charging station via a remote operator.

The Beijing-based company, which was formed in 2015 when China’s Ninebot acquired New Hampshire-based Segway, aims to start pilot tests of the new Segway KickScooter T60 later this year. Sales to scooter-sharing services are expected to begin next year in China and other markets.

The technology promises to eliminate the need for human wranglers to round up parked scooters and return them to a central hub for charging, maintenance and redistribution. Automating the process could “radically improve” the economics of scooter-sharing, CEO Gao Lufeng tells Reuters.

But the target cost of about 10,000 yuan ($1,420), would make the T60 nearly five times as costly as other electric scooters in China. In the U.S., the top-end Segway ES4 model retails for about $750.

The T60 has three wheels (two in front and one centered in the rear), which allows the device to remain balanced without the aid of a rider. The remote operator controls the vehicle over a cloud-computing network and handlebar mounted cameras.

In addition, the cameras and ultrasonic sensors identify nearby obstacles. The semi-autonomous system automatically stops or steers the scooter around objects if the operator doesn’t take the appropriate action.

Segway-Ninebot sold 1.6 million scooters worldwide last year, which the company says makes it the largest provider in the industry. Lufeng lists Uber and Lyft’s scooter-sharing operations as potential customers for the T60.

Segway-Ninebot also is developing autonomous delivery pods. The company aims to launch applications with food delivery services next year in China.

Watch a video about the T60 HERE.