Toyota has developed a motorized stand-up-and-ride Segway lookalike designed to help humans scoot around at malls and airports.

But the “Winglet,” shown Friday in Tokyo, takes some getting used to. A demonstrator was visibly worried about its safety while accompanying a reporter who cautiously tried it on a short course in a Toyota showroom.

Toyota officials insist anyone can learn to ride it with some practice, including the elderly — its major target buyer.

Still, Toyota Motor Corp. has

no plans yet to turn the Winglet into a commercial product. The Japanese automaker will start analyzing the two-wheeler that year at an airport and resort complex and next year at a shopping mall, all in Japan, to get user feedback. Overseas analysis plans are undecided.

The Winglet goes up to 3.7 mph, about the same speed as pedestrians, far slower than 12.5-mph Segway, which costs $5,000. The Winglet can go about 3 […]

Orginal post by Top Tech News