If you’re a Tron fan, let’s face it, you are looking to put cool lights on all kinds of stuff so you can pretend you are in the grid. A TRON-themed Segway was just a matter of time. It looks pretty good.

This one was a pretty simple mod, since it just took some 3M reflective safety tape, a strand of blue LED Christmas lights, a pair of scissors and some electrical tape. I can’t imagine anyone from the movie riding it, but hey, whatever.

The current owner of Segway died yesterday after he rode off a cliff and into a river in England. They found Jimi Heselden’s body yesterday at 11.40am yesterday by the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire, with his X2 Adventure with him.

Jimi was 62. Police think it was just a weird accident. The man was worth $262m though. And Segways don’t go so fast that he wouldn’t see the cliff coming. Well, however it happened, it’s a sad turn of events.

Segway fans can now get some color on their vehicle instead of just living with black, white or sage. All thanks to ColorWare, who is obviously moving on to coloring larger gadgets these days. We aren’t sure if they will accept your current Segway to paint, or if they’re only selling new Segways like with their HDTV deal.

You can choose different colors for the handle bar, upper leansteer, lower leansteer, leansteer hub, center console, front bumper, rear bumper, front battery, rear battery, fenders, inner hubs, wheels and hub caps.

Snipers are used to using cardboard cutouts of bad guys to practice their deadly arts, but they have long needed better practice targets that move. As usual, robots are the answer. The Australian Defense Force and Marathon Robotics took a bunch of two-wheeled RMP 200 Segway robots, and placed hoodies on them just for kicks.

The robots are programmed to wander around randomly on the course just like people walking about and minding their own business. When the sniper picks off his target, the remaining robots all scatter automatically. Again just like people who are terrified and screaming.

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 all self-balancing and hands-free, making it easy for the disabled to get around and do normal things.

The Chariot has a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour and the upright design ensures that the wearer can communicate and interact just like any normal person.

[Botropolis]

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.

Bikes are a great environmentally friendly way to get around. But not so much when you’ve had a few drinks. That’s where this self-stabilizing bike comes in handy. It will keep you upright when you’ve had a few too many. It arrives in the world courtesy of researchers at Yokohama’s Keio University.

It’s equipped with two motors: one that moves the rear wheel about 2.5 meters per second while the other controls the handlebars. A linux controller keeps watch of everything via webcam and gyro sensor, steering the vehicle and adjusting its speed accordingly. Right now the bike is only able to stay upright when moving in a straight line, but before you know it they will have a system that can corner and work in the real world. So go ahead, drink up.

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.

If you don’t want to pick up a Segway for $5,000, you might want to check this out. It’s a manually-powered unicycle that will get you around town. To onlookers you will appear to be skiing on the sidewalk while sweating like a fat kid in gym class.

You might want to consider the workout tubby, what with rising gas prices. I’m sure your boss will let you park it inside too, to prevent theft. Won’t that be swell? Laughed at on the way to work and laughed at during. Oh, and on the way home. Sadly, it is but a concept, so you’ll have to find another way around for now.