Is Toyota's Winglet personal mobility robot ready to fly?
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Toyota’s next big thing is pretty tiny.
The Winglet personal transport assistance robot is a Segway-like vehicle currently undergoing testing in Japan.
The self-balancing, two-wheel vehicle allows a rider to simply step on it then lean in the direction they want to go.
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Much more compact than the Segway, the Winglet is envisioned to be used on sidewalks and even inside buildings.
The electrically-powered vehicle has a top speed of just 3.7 mph -- about as fast as a brisk stroll -- and can run for up to one hour per charge.
Toyota will be evaluating it in real-world conditions over the next few years in the city of Tsukuba, which has been designated as a Mobility Robot Experimental Zone, to determine its functionality, safety and potential market demand.
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Although it remains in production and has found some success as a niche product with commercial and tourism applications, the Segway never lived up to the hype surrounding its introduction in 2001 due to a combination of its high $5,000 price and restrictions on where it can be used.