Normally I think "Product X Killer" is kind of a ridiculous statement to make, but in the case of the Segway I would double that. For a competitor to kill another product implies that product is wildly successful and without any real competition. The Segway was hyped as "as big a deal as the PC" and "more important than the Internet". Instead it's fairly useless and banned in the places it would be most useful (ignoring the medical devices using gyroscopic technology). The Segway Killer is called your legs and a bicycle.<p>The Ryno isn't even a Segway competitor. You might make the bold claim that it would be a motorcycle killer, but even then... I mean, it's a one-wheeled motorcycle. Let's be practical here: the Ryno goes 20mph with a 20 mile range, can't be used on sidewalks or pedestrian areas, and only really exists to draw attention. It's not competing with the Segway, it's not competing with motorcycles, it's barely competing with scooters or bicycles. Hype it up because it looks interesting and has some neat tech, but don't make the claim that it will revolutionize transport just because it can stand up on its own.
To call product X a killer of product Y, Y must have a substantial presence in the market. Segway does not. Even in Ryno delivers, killing the segway is not going to make headlines.<p>A better comparision IMO is to the mini-farthing YikeBike (www.yikebike.com), but I don't think that product has set the market on fire either
This looks like a step backwards, applying traditional vehicle mechanics, where the Segway has already graduated from them.<p>Also, the Segway was always pitched as a _walking_ replacement, not a _driving_ replacement.
It's as if the maker of Ryno read Paul Graham's post on Segway and implemented his suggestions.<p><a href="http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.paulgraham.com/segway.html</a><p>"So there may be a way to capture more of the market Segway hoped to reach: make a version that doesn't look so easy for the rider. It would also be helpful if the styling was in the tradition of skateboards or bicycles rather than medical devices."
I thought the Segway killer was the cost and confusion about how to integrate it with traffic codes. The Ryno doesn't appear to solve either of these problems.
The Segway gets a lot of flack, but it's actually catching on as a tourist device. People who would normally exhaust themselves completely - or who wouldn't be able to do a tour of a place at all - now have the option of purchasing so-called guided tours on Segways.<p>The problem with the Segway was and is that it felt like an answer to a question no one had asked. We might still see a lot of Segways - or their equivalent.
Lots of haters here, just because the OP said Segway Killer in the title. I think this could have a legitimate market to replace things like gas powered scooters. Details seem thin right now, but if it works well and the price is right they could definitely sell these beyond the high end consumer market.
A few years ago, Bombardier showed off a concept that's very similar, but with a small retracting pair front wheel used at low speed.<p><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/embrio-one-wheel-concept/2350/" rel="nofollow">http://www.gizmag.com/embrio-one-wheel-concept/2350/</a>
This is some pretty risky naming. It makes me think, "Cause of death: thrown trying to ride a Ryno."<p>That would work if it were an energy drink - but this thing will be in traffic, which really is a major cause of death.<p>I mean it doesn't exactly say stability and easy of riding, does it? (Which are the main reasons that people who aren't being gimmicky don't choose unicycles over bicycles.)<p>With a name like this it would attract a suicidal/desperado crowd, which usually doesn't invest in its future long enough to have much money at any one time. (i.e. you can't target early adopters at a premium price with this naming/branding, which is usually the key to marketing something like this successfully and getting it adopted widely as you learn how to make it better and roll out on scale.)<p>I would change the name.