Segway Hits Reverse As Scooters Are Recalled

It was billed as a device that would change the world, with the cities of the future designed around its revolutionary capabilities.

But the Segway electric scooter now seems to be heading the way of the Sinclair C5, after its manufacturers announced that all 23,500 models would be recalled today because of a software problem that causes it to throw off its riders.

Segway said that a problem with the self-balancing scooter's internal programs could cause its wheels to unexpectedly switch into reverse.

The company had received six reports of Segways failing to operate, causing injuries to the heads and wrists of several riders.

The incidents seemed particularly likely to occur when riders tried to slow down one of the scooters by pulling back on its upright handlebars.

The US president, George Bush, almost came a cropper in 2003 while riding one of the scooters on the family estate in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The product's much-hyped launch in 2001 was preceded by months of feverish speculation after it was announced that Silicon Valley heavyweights such as Apple's Steve Jobs and Amazon's Jeff Bezos had offered financial backing.

Some rumours speculated that the product, codenamed "Ginger" before its launch, was something as exotic as a teleportation or anti-gravity device.

There was widespread disappointment when it was finally revealed as a scooter, and with a price tag between $4,000 and $5,500 (£2,100-£2,900), it has been too expensive to take off as a mass transportation device.

The Segway operates on minimal battery power and uses sophisticated balancing technology to ensure that riders can direct its travel simply by leaning gently on the handlebars without toppling it forwards.

Its movement is mainly powered by the weight of the rider leaning forwards, rather than by the batteries which are mainly used to power its electronics and balancing systems.

The US consumer product safety commission said that the recall affected all scooters sold from March 2002 to September 2006, although new x2 models that are preparing to be shipped to retailers have had their software upgraded and would not suffer from the problem.

Segway said that all owners of the scooters could register for a free software upgrade through the company's website.