The Segway may sit at the top of the list, but personal transportation options have multiplied over the last few years. Yet they all share one thing: they are proprietary. So if someone wanted to build a Segway clone, where would they even start? The OpenWheels project answers most of those questions, and its open source nature makes it open to any kind of modification.
The first reason to consider building a homemade alternative is the price. According to several sources online, an official Segway costs between $6,500 and $8,000—truly staggering when you consider that in some parts of the world that money could buy you a couple of cars. And if you live outside the United States, importing one is likely to be a nightmare. Expectations for the Segway were high, but the verdict was clear: it is expensive, heavy, and nobody really uses it as a replacement for motorcycles and bicycles. Some companies have found it useful for covering long distances quickly, but that's about it. So is it possible to optimize a Segway?
The first step is to build an open design, which is exactly what OpenWheels offers. Two motors, two chains, a battery, a controller circuit, firmware, a platform, and a handlebar make up the core of this open source Segway. In the reference design, the motors run at 24 volts, so you need two 12-volt batteries wired in series, and their rotation speed is too high, requiring a reduction system to make the vehicle more stable. You can also add a complete telemetry platform, giving you more capabilities than a standard Segway.
But it definitely works.
Without a doubt, OpenWheels is a complex project that requires advanced knowledge and a serious commitment of both time and money—but building the equivalent of a Segway is no small feat. In a way, it reminds us of the early days of computers. While big names focused on the commercial market, users built their own systems. If personal transport vehicles remain as stagnant as the original Segway, maybe it's time for enthusiasts to build their own.
