Segway to License Motion Technology

Segway's Human Transporter may be priced too high for most consumers, but the company has found another way to spread its technology: third party licenses. Segway will provide the Smart Motion tech used in its two-wheel scooters to other manufacturers and, in some cases, co-develop the products.

Robotics company WowWee will be the first licensee. The company will integrate Segway's Smart Motion into its next line of robotic toys slated for debut in 2006, including the Robosapien, Roboraptor and Robopet.

Segway will help create the new products with WowWee. According to the company, Smart Motion provides "intelligent motion control that enables a device to monitor its environment, precisely control its motion and make the right decisions about how it should move."

"Our technical team has developed a unique knowledge base that integrates controls engineering, embedded systems, advanced energy systems and sensor technologies," said Doug Field, Segway vice president of product development, in a statement. "This knowledge can now be quickly applied to entirely new applications and product categories by leveraging Segway Smart Motion technology."

"We will use Segway Smart Motion to enable our products to move and behave in ways that challenge the imagination and provide advanced functionality," added WowWee President Richard Yanofsky.