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>> There is a better version of the segway for problems like that. I 
>> recall
>> seeing a 2 wheeled version with the wheels in-line

> But then how does it stay up?  The Segway moves itself back and 
> forth to
> maintain ballance front/back, and the distance between the two 
> wheels keeps
> it ballanced sideways.  If the wheels were in line, then it would be
> naturally stable front/back, but there is now no mechanism left to 
> ballance
> sideways.  This could be achieved the way a bicycle does where 
> gyroscopic
> forces from falling over feed back into the steering, but that only 
> works
> when you're moving.

>> The picture I saw
>> was in some 1977 encyclopedia or something like that, and it was 
>> large
>> enough to hold a patient flat on top of it in case of accident on 
>> the
>> trails, so the segway is not new.

While it is most unlikely that the 1977 design was self stabilising, 
it's not inconceivable. The Wolseley GyroCar (aka Schilovsky GyroCar) 
worked just that way (albeit rather larger) and was built about 1916 
AFAIR. It was designed by a Russian Nobleman who never returned to 
continue his experiments with it after the Russian Revolution.

The Count in his car

        http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/gyrocars/schilovs.htm

        http://lamp.man.deakin.edu.au/riding/gyro.html

Numerous other gyrocars including some relatively modern US ones.

        http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/gyrocars/gyrocar.htm


And here's something I hadn't heard before:

CODA: I am glad to report that Count Schilovski did survive the First 
World War, the Revolution, and the civil war that followed. He 
returned to England, probably in 1922, living in Dulwich with his wife 
and three daughters, and working for the Sperry Gyroscope Company.
He (as plain "Mr Shilovsky") wrote an article in "The Morris Owner" 
for May 1939, advocating gyrocars, especially for colonial use. He 
accepted that the original prototype had been far too heavy.
I am indebted to Mr George Chkiantz, grandson of the Count, for the 
above biographical details.


        RM

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