The Segway is fine if you’re a mall cop or something, but what I really want is a UFO that hovers just above ground. That I can stand on and ride. The Air Board is just that thing. A $14,000 personal hovercraft that floats 8″ above the ground and reaches a maximum speed of 15 mph.

It will give you an hour or so on just 1.3 gallons of gas. Not bad. Not bad. But can it abduct smaller lifeforms? Like ants and insects maybe? I sure hope so. This thing steers by using levers and shifting your weight.

There are several high tech personal mobility devices floating around. The Segway may be the most notable of the geeky mobility choices out there. Honda has announced one of the strangest personal mobility devices I have seen called the U3-X.

The small device is very compact and portable, but has only one wheel. It looks like something a space age clown should be riding. The device fits between a riders legs, and looks much like a unicycle. The device can move in all directions, including side-to-side and diagonally.

If you are looking for a way to commute over short distances or get around campus without breaking a sweat or buying gas there are a few options for you. One of the options is the Segway, but the things are very expansive.

A new electric scooter has debuted that is perfect for around campus travel called the GoPet scooter. The device has a 48V, 350W direct drive front hub motor. The motor is capable of moving the scooter at up to 16mph and it has a range of 25 miles on a single charge.

The Orbis has it all over the Segway. It’s half as big as the Segway, has easier maneuverability in tight spots and folds down for storage. It also sports a 13 mph top speed and is battery powered. Eat it Segway.

It isn’t all awesomeness though. It has some obvious balance issues. Those can be worked out though with some time and money. At the moment it’s just a concept, but a good one. It will likely come to pass, since this thing is like the hot rod of the Segway culture.

If you wanted some new hardware to go along with the new Wii Fit Plus, you must be feeling disappointed, but don’t worry. There are some unusual surprises awaiting you in the game. Like a new Segway mini-game that’s been developed with Segway.

That’s right, you can use the Wii Balance Board and Wii Remote to simulate what it’s like to ride on a Segway. Oh joy. At least you won’t fall off and look like a dork. Looks like it’s a simple balloon-popping game that involves a “mole-like creature.” To operate the virtual Segway x2, just stand on the balance board and lean forward to make your Mii character ride forward. To turn left and right, you lean a Wii remote left or right.

The Dareway is a four-wheeled Segway knockoff for kids. Now kids can pretend they have way too much disposable income and Glide down the street in packs, toting briefcases. Kids 5 and up will be the talk of the playground.

The Dareway even dares you to buy it for your kid with its very name. Do you have the guts to make your little one “that kid”? The Dareway is powered by a rechargeable 12V battery and can spin 360 degrees. It only costs about $220. Sure to be dangerous. Dare you?

It’s Friday. You know what that means. It’s time for our weekly robot roundup. It’s been a busy week over at Botropolis, as usual. Robots don’t take a break and neither do we. Rest assured, we will still be reporting on their exploits even as the bunker burns around us and cold metal fingers tighten around our necks. Until that day, we shall document their rise to power, fearing them, preparing, and checking out cool robot toys that distract us.

Two new Segway bots: A Bomb-Defusing, Riot-Controlling, Firefighting duo.

Loki: A robot named after the Norse god.

We love it when a plan comes together: The Robot A-Team.

Conspiracy: Robot Spotted Reading The Bible In Bulls Logo.

The Steampunk Segway aka Legway, has some trouble making turns, according to the creator, but if you can’t afford a real Segway, this is a cheap DIY alternative. Of course you’ll have to provide all of the power yourself. At least that makes it eco-friendly.

If you want to try your hand at making one, head over to Instructables and make your own Legway. Then prepare to feel the burn. Before you know it, you’ll be saving up for the real deal. Because pedal power is for the birds.

Did a robot swallow that guy? Is this the next part of our evolution, where our legs are replaced by robots? Could be. In which case this is an evolutionary mullet. Business suit on top, partying robot on the bottom.

It’s actually for amputees. They will be the first to be assimilated by this contraption, trading in their crutches for this strikingly scary wearable commuter named the Chariot. The Exmovere Chariot makes it so that you are basically one half Segway. It’s …

General Motors and Segway have joined forces to create something larger than a Segway and smaller than a car. The end result will be the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (PUMA) whose goal is to deliver a self-balancing, two-wheeled vehicle that shuttles two people around at speeds up to 35 mph.

If you’re keeping score, that’s three times faster than Segway’s 12 mph top speed. It woill have a 35 mile range as well. The vehicle will be powered by a lithium battery and feature a built-in communications device that can “talk” to similar vehicles nearby.

The Cajun Crawler is a remarkable application of Theo Jansen’s fascinating articulated walking legs. This is really the first-known practical application, designed and built by UL Engineering students. They clam it even has the steering power of a tank if you can believe that.

The crawler moves at about 2 to 3 miles per hour. Which gives you a fair chance to run when you see an army of them with no riders coming at you. It looks awesomely cool and moves amazingly. We’re equal parts in awe and just plain creeped out.

You have your iPhone, iMac and your iPod, but you’re really looking forward to the next iProduct. What we have here is a car that’s based on the popular brand. The iMo. This little pod of a car consists of very few parts, making it a simple and reliable mode of geek transport.

It’s powered by electricity and charges itself through a socket at the back or by using electric induction from the floor, when available. It even boasts an artificial intelligence system, soft wheel and soft seat technology, even Segway gyroscopic technology, which is why you only see two wheels. The parts are fully recyclable as well.

Gyroscopes are awesome. They keep us upright on Segways, let us shake apps on our iPhones, and play boxing on the Wii. Now they will help you get that perfect golf swing. The Gyro Swing, by golf outfitter SKLZ features a gyroscope in the club head that helps your swing stay balanced and on course, giving the golfer a sense of stability and a perfectly timed swing.

If your stroke falls out of line, the club offers gentle resistant to guide you back to where the club should be. Is it cheating? Sure, but who cares. You’ve been getting your butt kicked long enough. For $200, you can be the man. The man in plaid, cheating, hoping to get the respect of other golfing old-farts who could care less and are also likely cheating.

The latest in personal transport promises to make you look ridiculous on your way to work. Focus Design’s SBU electric self-balancing unicycle will also help those circus Clowns who never mastered balance, thereby making it easier to graduate from Clown College.

The SBU can be steered by leaning left to right, like a regular unicycle, and it uses Segway-type gyroscopes to power you forward and backward. It moves at 8MPH and lasts about 1.5hrs on a single charge. Yes, it’s coming to market, for real. Focus is looking to do a limited run of ten SBUs next month, assuring those who buy it that they don’t look dorky at all for $1,500 a pop. Check out a video below.

Segway has been trying like hell to revolutionize how humans get around and it seems like they are selling more as gas prices go up. Toyota wants to give them some competition with the Toyota Winglet. The name alone doesn’t inspire much confidence. The Winglet’s body has a 10.4 x 18-inch footprint and stands 3.7-feet tall, depending upon the model you choose.(They come in S, M, or L models)

The electric motor can do a max 6km/h cruising speed for up to 10km. The user controls the Winglet by shifting his weight to move it forward and back or make turns. Consumer testing should begin at the Central Japan International Airport this fall with more testing in crowded places planned for 2009. It looks pretty sily, but as gas prices go up, it begins to look beter and better. Check out a video below.