Re: The joy of FORTRAN

On 3/13/25 11:30 PM, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:59:22 -0700, Don_from_AZ wrote:
 

I heard somewhere that Segway machines are no longer being made. Their
inventor, Dean Kamen, thought they would revolutionize people transport
in crowded urban areas, but that really didn't work out.

 A few years before introducing the Segway, he used the same basic self-
balancing technology to create a motorized wheelchair called the “IBot”,
if I recall rightly. It could run on four wheels, but the bogey could
rotate so it balanced on just two, bringing the sitting occupant to
regular standing-human eye level. And that rotating bogey helped it to
climb stairs, as well.

   Tech often PROMISES ... sometimes DELIVERS. Segway did,
   and to a point still does, have its niche.
   The super-chair was a GOOD use of the tech. Alas the
   tech was mostly TOO EXPENSIVE/DIFFICULT for the time.
   But, TODAY ...... someone should re-investigate that
   particular use. It'd be half the price due to better
   control electronics/sensors and faster microcontrollers.