Segway accident in Melboure

[chris fawcett]

And if it was something thats permanent there like a kerbstone, those fenders could make you fall over. The guy just had bad luck, could happen all of us.

I am not sure of fenders would be the best solution, the thing is, we keep watching the monitor to much and we dont look around enough. Its a constant tricky part of using a segway. I see people using a segway in places where i question why? SOme things are just as good on foot, perhaps even better. In this case, yeah, i understand why the use it, but a spotter with constant radio contact would be good.

 

Or couple of sensors making the segway slowin down or even stop if objects are coming close to the wheels, i am sure it could be done, its no rocket sience.

Hey Job,

 

That's a good point, and I'm glad you brought it up. Kerbs, and other immovable obstacles are what you check out in a recce. You know where those are in advance. it's the movable obstacles that might unexpectedly get placed in your way, like legs, balls, helmets, stands, whatever, that the safety fenders take care of so well.

 

Your kerb example is a good one. If you run into a kerb straight on, safety fenders won't make a difference. If the kerb is too hight to climb, you'll come off the machine whether you have fenders on or not. Where they come in handy is with the glancing blow against an immovable object like a wall, doorframe, or kerb, when rather than piling full-frontal into it, you misjudge your position and brush against it. As you know, the basic Segway will attempt to climb whatever it hits, throwing you off. The fenders are there to deflect you. Ulik and I did weeks of testing with them, setting up more than 100 crashes, and we found them to be effective at deflecting the Steadiseg at angles of up to 45 degrees. Beyond that, the Steadiseg skews around to run headlong into the object. If it's a wall, that's a pretty good result—way better than the wheel getting traction on a vertical surface and flipping you over.

 

What you describe as not being rocket science, is still pretty hard to achieve, but we are working on other safety systems as well. It's hard to beat a simple mechanical solution like simply enclosing the wheels, but we're doing our damnedest!

 

All the best,

 

Chris

[JobScholtze]

Most cars have them in the back bumper these days. It gives a loud signal if something appears to close to the bumper. Could be a solution

[Jon Beattie]

The range of those reverse sensors are between 1 & 4.9ft (1.5)moving at the top speed on the Segway you are going 15mph (24k) which is 22fps (6.7m). So at the max range of a senor while at top speed you have .25seconds to react to the sensor's warning.

 

At slower speeds it could be affective but having a spotter and not getting lost in the monitor are likely your best bet.

 

The wheel covers on Chris and Ulrik's steadiseg look like a good option, especially for brushing up against a fixed object or one that can be deflected away from the unit. Though I would be warry of an object being redirected under the standing platform and either getting wedged or acting like a security car barrier, the result of which would not be good for the operator. Something getting stuck or wedged are highly unlikely and I think Chris and Ulrik have a pretty simple and effective solution.

 

Operating on the handsfree introduces a number of additional obsticals for an operator; falls can and will happen.

[RonBaldwin]

Wait a second, forget the fenders and proximity alarms...

 

Pedro, are you telling me that you fly around getting footage and/or pictures of yourself from a camera pointed at...uh...you!? Is it for you to study when you get home or for your mom?

 

That is truely the most fabulously arrogant and self involved tidbit of wonderfulness to hit this forum (and by your own admission) in like...100 years! F'ing wesome!

 

Vote for Pedro!

[Pedro Guimaraes SOC]

Ron.....it's mostly for my own amusement.....and my mom's. She's a proud mama!

 

I also been gathering some footage to make video blogs on my blog.

 

steadi3d.com

 

In my last one on a behind the scenes look at a steadi/segway step off shot you can see some of the go pro footage from the monitor in action!

 

here is the link.

 

besides the shameless self promotion, I figured some people would be interested in some information I share in the videos.

 

 

 

I must admit, I only got the idea after watching the video Charles Papert made a while ago....

[Charles Papert]

I must admit, I only got the idea after watching the video Charles Papert made a while ago....

 

 

[cough splutter] I didn't make that--I was just the poor unwitting subject! I knew the guys were screwing around with the GoPro but the first time I saw the footage it was on Vincent Laforet's blog. Anyway, that sort of thing has been around since the lipstick cams. There's a great piece from the German (or was it Swiss?) Steadicam doc from the mid-90's, where the operator is backing up stairs with the camera mounted on the monitor looking back. Much more interesting to watch than me taking five stupid steps straight forward. The fun part is seeing how the operator sneaks looks at the monitor in and around the gimbal as he maneuvers. Wish that was online somewhere.

 

Anyway--Pedro, I watched the video you linked to but I do have to say, for me the much more interesting perspective on a Segway stepoff is from alongside, where you see the operator's whole body and the Segway as one, and can really get the transition. The shot with the POV cam mounted to the Segway pointing straight ahead--it just looks like a crappy version of the Steadicam shot you were doing. Doesn't give a sense of transition. I would think it would be much more interesting if it was cantilevered way back behind the Segway, almost looking like it was following it, and at a certain point the operator steps forward and away and we stay with the Segway, of course.

 

Along those lines, it would be fun to have it mounted way out in front and see the perspective looking back at the camera and lens with the operator behind, as you do side switches and whatnot. The move going through tight doorways and turning corners where the rig gets extended way out in front and the operator has to peel around the corner behind it, that would be great to see from that perspective. Nothing to do with Segway, mind you.

[RonBaldwin]

I agree with Charles...not the best perspective to see what you are doing, but I am glad your mom is proud (and now knows what an alexa looks like as you mentioned it everytime it was pictured). I do like listening to you talk, it is soothing.

 

Vote for Pedro

[Pedro Guimaraes SOC]

Yeah I hear you Charles....that high up position would be killer. But I just managed to sneak these cameras in, and tried to be unobtrusive. Maybe next time I'll convince them they can use it in the behind the scenes video. Then I can rig up something more elaborate like you described...probably might be a simple as a large noga arm, gobo arm or something....

 

I'll try to get a better video next time ; )

[BJMcDonnell SOC]

Isn't go pros for cool things like surfing or Bmx bikes, or snowboarding? I can't help but think that watching someone do steadicam with a go pro has got to be wicked boring.

[Dave Thompson]

Is the focus puller on a Segway as well in the video?

[Sanjay Sami]

Isn't go pros for cool things like surfing or Bmx bikes, or snowboarding? I can't help but think that watching someone do steadicam with a go pro has got to be wicked boring.

 

Boring for everyone except maybe the operator himself :)

[BJMcDonnell SOC]

Isn't go pros for cool things like surfing or Bmx bikes, or snowboarding? I can't help but think that watching someone do steadicam with a go pro has got to be wicked boring.

 

 

 

Boring for everyone except maybe the operator himself :)

 

 

 

Mirrors are cheaper

[Pedro Guimaraes SOC]

Isn't go pros for cool things like surfing or Bmx bikes, or snowboarding? I can't help but think that watching someone do steadicam with a go pro has got to be wicked boring.

 

not when you getting tackled by a 250Lb linebacker....that pretty entertaining

[RonBaldwin]

Mirrors are cheaper

 

just wet myself

[Pedro Guimaraes SOC]

Is the focus puller on a Segway as well in the video?

 

 

Ummm yeah the DP Aaron Heck is also a steadicam op and bought one of the first steadisegs from Chris....so was pretty unique situation!

 

One seg for the op and another for the 1st AC......was pretty funny actually....we were spoiled on that set.