Mysterious 'IT' is motorised scooter, says Time

6.00 pm

WASHINGTON - The ultra-secret "IT" invention that has kept the high-tech world abuzz for nearly a year is a self-balancing, motorized scooter that costs less that US5c (12c) a day to operate, Time Magazine reported in its Monday edition.

Inventor Dean Kamen believes the machine, code-named It but officially known as Segway, will eventually replace cars in crowded downtown areas by enabling users to zip around at virtually no cost and no harm to the environment.

The two-wheeled device uses a complex array of gyroscopes and computers to mimic the human body's sense of balance, Time said. Users lean forward to move forward, lean back to reverse course and turn by twisting a handle.

Falling over is impossible, the article said, and the Segway can handle ice, snow and stairs with ease. "The big idea is to put a human being into a system where the machine acts as an extension of your body," Kamen told Time.

Over the course of his career, the 50-year-old inventor has developed several medical devices including the first portable insulin pump, a briefcase-sized dialysis machine and a wheelchair that can climb stairs.

With a range of roughly 27km and a top speed of 27.35km/h, Kamen and other officials at the privately held Segway Co. do not see the scooter as a practical replacement for the automobile on long-distance trips.

Rather, they see the machine as a handy way to get around congested downtown areas where driving is inconvenient or impossible, or as a practical people mover in developing nations like China.

Company officials have met with city planners and federal safety regulators to ensure that Segways will be allowed to share sidewalks with pedestrians, Time said.

The US Postal Service plans to test the device for its letter carriers, and Amazon.com will run trials for use in its warehouses, the article said.

The company expects to introduce a consumer model for $US3000 ($7293) within a year, and has built a factory near its headquarters in Manchester, New Hampshire, that will be able to make 40,000 Segways per month, Time said.

Time's article, along with a planned appearance by Kamen Monday morning (US time) on ABC's Good Morning America, caps a year of frenzied speculation about what exactly "IT" could be.

Spurred by an initial leak on media website Inside.com in January, and boosted by endorsements from a range of high-tech mavens including Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, websites have buzzed with rumours about the device, also known as Ginger.

The IT question (http://theITquestion.com) posts links to patent applications filed by Kamen, while Ginger-Chat (http://www.ginger-chat.com) featured a clock counting down the hours until Monday morning.

- REUTERS

Article and interactive graphic at time.com