Segway’s prototype wheelchair crashes at tech show


Segway's prototype wheelchair crashed during a demonstration at the CES tech show. The S-Pod - a self-balancing electric wheelchair - was being tested by a journalist at the time. The rider had accelerated the vehicle before accidentally crashing into a wall. Its maximum speed is 24mph (38km/h). The company said no one was injured. The crash made the S-Pod unavailable for further demos, but analysts say the company should not face lasting damage. "In no way is an [malfunction] a total loss. It is still a sign to the public that the company is close to the finished product," said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

The S-Pod is designed to be driven in enclosed spaces such as airports, theme parks and work campuses. Segway's director of marketing Jeff Wu told the BBC the concept model did not have a safety belt, but that his company intended to add one. The Chinese firm did not say how much it had spent on the prototype, but companies often spend millions of dollars developing products to have them ready to exhibit at the annual Las Vegas expo. The S-Pod is expected to go on sale in early 2021. The demo model had received significant media attention for its design. It is inspired by the geospheres in the film Jurassic World. Many on social media have also compared the vehicle to the hover chairs in the animated Pixar film Wall-E.