Battery-powered Segway poised to 'become a key mode of transport'

From an office in Dubai Internet City, a retired US Navy official is planning a regional transport revolution.

In the four years since its launch, the Segway has failed to live up to its initial hype, but Steven Brown remains convinced its eventual triumph is inevitable.

"Just like the Model T Ford, it may not do it in five or ten years," he says. "But at some point it will become a key mode of transport."

The battery-powered Segway transporter was unveiled in December 2001 to extraordinary media excitement by Dean Kamen, an inventor already known for a wheelchair that can climb stairs and the first mobile dialysis machine. Kamen described his invention as like "a magic pair of sneakers". A system of gyros and sensors balances a platform on which the user stands. He or she can then travel at up to 20kph, regulating speed by shifting weight between toe and heel.

The Segway was available for purchase from November 2002. International dealers were introduced in November 2004 and in February Brown opened the Dubai office, which covers 12 countries across the Middle East.

"Outside the US, Segway has chosen to go for a two-tier distribution model," he says.

"Distributers are exclusive in the territory they cover and can either sell directly or appoint dealers. We currently have the largest territory and are looking to establish a dealer network throughout the region."

Currently, Brown says the Middle East is in the early stage of development compared to the United States.

However, he says he has found similar adoption patterns to the US two years ago. Brown forecasts 300 sales within his first year and he expects 80 per cent of these to come from the commercial sector. "We are looking to the corporate sector to assist us in making an entry into the Middle East market," he says. "Security, Transportation and Energy are the top sectors for us, in that order."

However, since its massively-hyped launch, the Segway transporter has fallen short of expectations.

While the inventor predicted that the Segway would change a way city is planned, so far sales are believed to be under 20,000. Since early summer, sales in the Middle East sales are move slower than the Segway two per week.

"I think there are acceptance issues," says Brown of the regional market. "People have difficulty accepting that it does what we say it does. Then, there is the issue of whether it can actually get you around more easily than a car."

The third acceptance issue is price. Segways do not come cheap. The basic model is $4,200 and the top model is $6,400.

In Dubai, Brown believes the Segway will find favour with two distinct markets. "It is perfect for running errands near your home," he says. "Especially if you live in one of the new dev-elopments such as the Greens, which have pathways built for accessibility by foot."

To break through, Brown is courting public sector customers including Dubai's police. He is also strongly targeting Emirates airline. "That could change the way people view the Segway," he says. "It is much easier than a golf cart, and much more 21st century."