Segway’s New Hoverboard Can Transform Into a Robot

You ride all the way to the park but now you want to get off and walk around in without carrying or pushing a heavy vehicle.

“What was most interesting was the ecosystem”, said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, who was in the keynote audience when the robot was demoed.

Intel and Segway’s device is a hoverboard created to transform into a robot that can stream video, make facial expressions and do a variety of other gestures, all thanks to its movable arms and digital eyes that blink once in a while.

Two-wheeled self-balancing scooters (mostly known as “hoverboards”) have become all the rage over the last few months, and Segway has gotten in on the fun with its new Segway Robot. Modular, Ninebot Segway may convert into either a hoverboard reaching knee height or a robot that can accomplish a number of tasks and functions. When someone entered the door, the RealSense camera on the robotic butler could identify the individual as a friend or stranger.

Ninebot has introduced the coolest Segway yet: the Segway Robot. Another noteworthy feature is that the robot butler can navigate successfully through a furniture-filled house, all thanks to the RealSense Camera tech by Intel. The company hopes to start shipping developer units in the third quarter of 2016, which will include enrolment in Segway’s Robot Developer Program.

Besides Intel’s drone and robot, Fitbit unveiled its latest fitness-related wearable called the Blaze.

In addition to a host of sensors, Segway can act as a Smart Hub for your Internet of Things devices.

It’s not immediately clear what exactly the robot does – demonstrations showed it could use its built-in cameras to follow someone, and a pair of clip-on arms made it look a bit more robot-like, but that’s it.

Intel has helped develop the robot’s Android-based platform, while Xiaomi has been Ninebot’s investor. Segway said it expects to have the device available for developers in the second half of the year.