The Segway Human Transporter (HT) is a unique self-balancing, electric-powered transportation device. Using gyroscopes and tilt sensors, the Segway HT is able to emulate human balance. Lean forward, and you move forward. Lean back, and you move back. Straighten up, and you stop.

The Segway HT can self-balance because of a technology called dynamic stabilization. Dynamic Stabilization works in much the same way your own sense of balance does. Where you have an inner ear, eyes, muscles, and a brain to keep you balanced, the Segway HT has solid-state gyroscopes, tilt sensors, high-speed microprocessors, and powerful electric motors performing to keep it balanced.

Working in concert, these extensively tested, redundant systems sense your center of gravity, instantaneously assess the information, and make minute adjustments one hundred times a second. Segway HT balances whether you're traveling at 10 mph, carrying a heavy load, slowly maneuvering in tight spaces, or standing perfectly still.

This balancing act is the most amazing feature of the Segway and the key to its operation. To understand how this system works, it helps to consider Kamen's model for the device - the human body. If you stand up and lean forward to the point at which you are out of balance, you probably won't fall. Your brain knows you are out of balance because fluid in your inner ear shifts, and it triggers you to put your leg forward and stop the fall. If you keep leaning forward, your brain will keep putting your legs forward to keep you upright. Instead of falling, you walk forward, one step at a time.

The Segway HT acts in a similar fashion except with wheels instead of legs, a motor instead of muscles, microprocessors instead of a brain, and tilt sensors instead of an inner-ear balancing system. Like your brain, the Segway knows when you are leaning forward. To maintain balance, it turns the wheels at just the right speed so that you move forward instead of falling down.

The Segway HT is agile and graceful, and can operate on a variety of terrains. Hills, grass, inclines and dirt pose no obstacle to its ability to go where you want to go. Like a person walking, all that a Segway Human Transporter requires is traction to operate in virtually any environment.