Segway Inc.

Product brand

American-founded mobility company known for self-balancing personal transporters, electric scooters, and service robots.

Last updated October 25, 2026

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Overview

Segway Inc. is an American-founded personal mobility and robotics company whose name became closely associated with the two-wheeled, self-balancing electric transporter. Inventor Dean Kamen established the company in 1999 to commercialize non-medical applications of balance-control technology developed through his work at DEKA Research and Development. That work was related to the iBOT self-balancing wheelchair, which used sensors, motors, and control software to maintain stability and negotiate different surfaces. Segway adapted the underlying concept into a vehicle designed for able-bodied riders and short-distance transportation. The company’s first major product was introduced publicly in December 2001 as the Segway Human Transporter, or HT, and was subsequently renamed the Segway Personal Transporter, or PT. The launch followed an unusually large wave of publicity. Technology investors and prominent executives were reported to have made expansive predictions about its potential, while media coverage treated the undisclosed product as a possible transformation of urban mobility. The Segway PT used two parallel wheels, gyroscopic and accelerometer sensors, and rider input through a handlebar to move forward, backward, and around corners. Commercial deliveries began in 2002. Despite its technical novelty, the PT did not become a mass replacement for cars, bicycles, or walking. High prices, limited battery range compared with automobiles, rules restricting motorized devices on sidewalks and roads, and the absence of supporting infrastructure constrained adoption. Segway therefore developed a more focused business around guided city tours, police and security patrols, military and government sites, warehouses, industrial facilities, corporate campuses, and other controlled environments. The product also became a recognizable cultural object, appearing in news coverage, entertainment, tourism, and public demonstrations. Segway changed ownership several times. British entrepreneur Jimi Heselden backed the acquisition of the company in December 2009. Heselden died in September 2010 in an accident involving a Segway near his property in West Yorkshire. Summit Strategic Investments acquired Segway in February 2013 and announced plans to broaden the portfolio and expand the international business. In April 2015, Beijing-based Ninebot acquired Segway and combined the businesses into Segway-Ninebot. The transaction followed a period in which Segway had pursued patent and copyright claims against Ninebot and other Chinese manufacturers before the dispute was resolved through the combination. Under Ninebot ownership, the brand moved beyond the original full-size transporter. Products such as the Ninebot by Segway miniPro targeted consumers seeking smaller, easier-to-use personal mobility devices. The wider Segway-Ninebot portfolio has included electric kick scooters, self-balancing devices, go-karts, off-road products, and robotic platforms, including the Navimow robotic lawn-mower line. The company continues to present Segway as a mobility and intelligent-hardware brand rather than solely as the maker of the original PT. Its present identity combines the heritage of Kamen’s self-balancing invention with Ninebot’s consumer-electronics manufacturing and international distribution capabilities.

History

Segway’s technical lineage began with Dean Kamen’s work on the iBOT self-balancing wheelchair at DEKA. Patents covering self-balancing transportation concepts were filed during the 1990s, and the experience gained from stabilizing a wheelchair helped establish the engineering basis for a non-medical personal transporter. Kamen founded Segway in July 1999 to pursue this application independently rather than license the technology to an established automotive or electronics company. The company spent the next several years developing a vehicle that could maintain balance automatically while responding to the rider’s movements. The resulting machine was initially called the Human Transporter. It was unveiled in December 2001 after extensive media speculation and entered commercial delivery in 2002 under the name Segway Personal Transporter. Its control system allowed the rider to accelerate or decelerate by leaning, while sensors and electric motors continuously corrected the vehicle’s balance. The launch generated expectations that the device would transform urban transportation. In practice, adoption was concentrated in enthusiast, tourism, security, and institutional markets. The PT’s cost, weight, range, training requirements, and legal treatment made it difficult to use as a universal substitute for walking, cycling, or driving. Various jurisdictions restricted or prohibited its use on sidewalks and roads, further limiting the addressable market. Segway also became associated with highly visible demonstrations and accidents, which increased public recognition but did not create mass demand. The company pursued commercial applications in patrol, warehousing, campuses, industrial sites, and guided tours. In 2003 it developed the Segway Robotic Mobility Platform, allowing researchers and developers to use the balancing technology as a base for mobile robotics. In 2009 ownership passed to a United Kingdom-backed company associated with Jimi Heselden. Heselden’s death in a Segway accident in 2010 was widely reported. Summit Strategic Investments acquired the company in 2013 and announced a strategy centered on portfolio expansion and international growth. Ninebot acquired Segway in April 2015. The deal followed a contentious period involving Segway’s complaints that Ninebot and other Chinese manufacturers infringed its patents and copyrights; the acquisition combined the former rivals and ended the dispute as a central public issue. Afterward, the business increasingly emphasized smaller consumer vehicles and the broader intelligent short-distance transportation category. The miniPro and later electric scooter products extended the brand beyond the traditional PT, while robotics and robotic lawn-care products broadened its technology scope. Segway remains an active brand within the privately held Segway-Ninebot organization, retaining the original transporter as a defining part of its heritage while competing in a wider personal electric mobility market.

2015
Ninebot and Segway combine
[4]Ninebot and Segway company historyap.segway.com
Ninebot acquired Segway and formed the Segway-Ninebot organization.
2015
miniPro launched
[3]Segway company historystore.segway.com
Ninebot by Segway miniPro was introduced as a smaller consumer-oriented personal transporter.
2013
Summit Strategic Investments acquisition
[6]Summit Strategic Investments acquires Segwayprnewswire.com
Summit Strategic Investments acquired Segway and announced plans to refocus the company and broaden its product portfolio.
2009
Ownership transfers to Heselden-backed company
[10]Ownership transfers to Heselden-backed companytechcrunch.com
A transaction completed on December 24 transferred Segway to a United Kingdom-based company backed by Jimi Heselden.
2003
Robotic Mobility Platform developed
[7]Segway robotic mobility platformrobotsguide.com
Segway introduced a platform intended to support research and development of mobile robots.
2002
Commercial deliveries begin
[9]Commercial deliveries beginwebbikeworld.com
The Segway PT entered the market after its public unveiling.
2001
Segway Human Transporter unveiled
[8]Segway Human Transporter unveileden.wikipedia.org
The original two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle was publicly introduced in New York and later became known as the Segway PT.
1999
Segway founded
[1]Segway Inc. - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Dean Kamen established Segway to develop non-medical applications of self-balancing mobility technology.

Products and positioning

Innovative intelligent short-distance transportation and robotics brand serving consumers, tourism operators, commercial organizations, and institutional users.

Self-balancing personal transporter · 2001
Segway PT
The Segway PT is the company’s foundational two-wheeled electric transporter. It uses onboard sensors, control software, and electric motors to keep the platform upright while translating rider movements into forward, reverse, and turning commands. Models were marketed for guided tours, patrol, campuses, industrial facilities, warehouses, and personal transportation. The PT established the Segway name but remained a niche product rather than a mass-market replacement for cars or bicycles.
Consumer self-balancing vehicle · 2015
Ninebot by Segway miniPro
The miniPro is a compact self-balancing vehicle developed for consumer use after Ninebot acquired Segway. It replaces the full-size PT’s conventional handlebar arrangement with a knee-control bar and a smaller form factor. The model represented the company’s effort to make personal electric transport easier to own and use in everyday settings.
Electric kick scooters
Segway electric scooters
Segway-branded electric kick scooters extend the company into lightweight, foldable personal mobility. They are designed for short urban trips and typically combine a rechargeable battery, electric hub motor, electronic braking, and app-connected product features. The line reflects the brand’s shift from a single distinctive transporter toward a broader consumer micromobility portfolio.
Robotic lawn mower
Segway Navimow
Navimow is Segway’s robotic lawn-care line. These autonomous mowers are positioned as intelligent outdoor equipment rather than personal transporters, using automated navigation and electric operation to maintain lawns. The product family illustrates the wider Segway-Ninebot strategy of applying sensing, navigation, and robotics capabilities to consumer tasks.
Robotics platform · 2003
Segway Robotic Mobility Platform
The Robotic Mobility Platform was created as a mobile base for researchers and developers building robots. It leveraged Segway’s balancing and drive technology and gave the company a role in experimental and service-robotics applications beyond rider-operated vehicles.

Controversies

2024
US recall of Ninebot P100S electric scooters
On November 21, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall by Segway of Ninebot P100S electric scooters manufactured in 2023 because a front fork fracture could cause falls and injuries. This entry concerns a specific model in the U.S. market and does not cover all Ninebot products.
Source
2020
Riders sue Lime over alleged scooter injuries
Riders filed a complaint in California state court against Lime, Segway and other defendants, alleging that defects or inadequate maintenance of Lime scooters caused rider injuries. The complaint asserts product liability, negligence and warranty claims; these are allegations, not established findings.
Source

2011Segway Experience Center Program
International tourism markets
Segway created an affiliation program for tour operators and destinations. Participating locations could operate authorized Segway experiences and, where applicable, sell PT vehicles. The program formalized tourism as one of the company’s important channels after broad consumer adoption proved difficult.
Outcome. The program supported guided-tour and experiential use of Segway vehicles, although no quantitative outcome is established by the supplied sources.
Source

Brand decisions

2015
Combine with NinebotM&A
Background
Segway had pursued intellectual-property complaints against Ninebot and other competing Chinese manufacturers while both companies operated in personal electric transportation.
Action taken
Ninebot acquired Segway and combined the businesses into Segway-Ninebot.
Aftermath
The combined organization expanded consumer mobility, scooter, robotics, and intelligent-hardware offerings under both brands.
Source
2013
Refocus the company and broaden the portfolioStrategy
Background
Summit Strategic Investments acquired Segway after years of limited mass-market adoption of the PT.
Action taken
The new owner announced plans to concentrate on Segway’s strengths, develop additional products, and expand its global network.
Aftermath
The strategy preceded the 2015 combination with Ninebot and the introduction of smaller consumer products.
Source
2001
Launch the Segway Human TransporterProduct launch
Background
Segway sought to commercialize self-balancing technology in a new category of short-distance personal transportation.
Action taken
The company unveiled the Human Transporter and later marketed it as the Segway Personal Transporter.
Aftermath
The product achieved strong recognition and niche institutional and tourism adoption but did not become a universal urban transport solution.
Source

Recent events

2021-09-02
Segway launches Navimow robotic lawn mower[13]赛格威发布Navimow智能割草机器人finance.sina.com.cn
Reported: 2021-09-03
Segway, a brand of Ninebot, launched its new Navimow smart robotic lawn mower and entered the home service robotics field.
2021-05-04
Scoot City announces May e-scooter sale[14]Scoot City 宣布五月电动滑板车促销openpr.com
Reported: 2021-05-04
Scoot City announced a May promotion offering selected Mearth and Segway electric scooters at discounted prices, including models priced from $599.
2021-04-13
Kiwibot announces partnerships supporting robotic delivery[15]Kiwibot宣布建立支持机器人配送的合作关系prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-04-13
Kiwibot announced partnerships with Segway, Knight Foundation, Chick-fil-A and Shopify. The article identifies a manufacturing partnership with Segway and pilots with Chick-fil-A.
2021-04-08
Segway announces planned Apex H2 motorcycle launch[16]Segway宣布计划推出Apex H2摩托车carscoops.com
Reported: 2021-04-08
Segway unveiled the Apex H2 hydrogen-powered motorcycle and the article reported that it was slated to launch in 2023; the launch was a plan, not a completed release.
2020-10-02
Segway opens eMoped C80 for preorder on Indiegogo[17]Segway在Indiegogo开启eMoped C80预售finance.sina.com.cn
Reported: 2020-10-02
Segway made its C80 eMoped available for preorder on Indiegogo, with an early-bird price starting at $1,899. The article says shipping was estimated to begin in November if all went smoothly.
2020-08-18
Riders sue Lime over alleged scooter injuries[12]Riders sue Lime over alleged scooter injurieslawstreetmedia.com
Reported: 2020-08-19
Riders filed a complaint in California state court against Lime, Segway and other defendants, alleging that defects or inadequate maintenance of Lime scooters caused rider injuries. The complaint asserts product liability, negligence and warranty claims; these are allegations, not established findings.
2020-01-03
Segway unveils S-Pod transportation vehicle[18]Segway unveils S-Pod transportation vehicletechcrunch.com
Reported: 2020-01-03
Segway unveiled the S-Pod, a self-balancing vehicle designed for sitting while navigating enclosed campuses.

Sources18 sources

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