Introduction
Two Segways at ANU
While having lunch in Union Court at The Australian National University I noticed three Segways:
The Segway HT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation device invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in December 2001. It is available in various models and form factors produced by the company Segway Inc. of New Hampshire. The name "Segway HT" stands for "Segway Human Transporter."
From Segway HT, Wikipedia, 15 August 2006.
These were made up as advertising billboards for a travel company. The riders were able to steer and hand out advertising brochures at the same time, showing the stability of the vehicle. They were quiet and seemed to be able to travel safely in between the pedestrians.
But as recently as January this year there have been news items about Segways being illegal:
... Segway "After announcing last year that they hoped to buy several of the two-wheeled electric devices for city patrols, senior police were told by VicRoads that it is illegal to ride Segways, which are designed for footpaths, in public spaces in Victoria," reported The Age. ...
From Aussie coppers crushed to discover Segways are illegal, By Ashlee Vance in Mountain View, The Register, 13th January 2006
So apart from a marketing gimmick, the Segway doesn't seem to be a practical form of transport. An electric bicycle would seem more usable. Electric bicycles with a motor of no more than 200 watts are legal in Australia.