Rib Mt. man one of first to own Segway scooter
Human transporter gives him new option

By Elizabeth Putnam
Wausau Daily Herald
eputnam@wdhprint.com

RIB MOUNTAIN - Tom Kufahl's energy was deteriorating. He tired easily and it was difficult for him to walk. He tried a motorized wheelchair for a while, but he didn't like it much. Still's disease, which limits mobility and energy, was taking its toll.

So he decided to buy an expensive transportation device that no one in the state has, according to Kufahl, and few in the nation have, according to the inventor. It's the Segway Human Transporter, the latest transportation invention.
The machine allows a person to move up to 12.5 mph standing upright. With little effort, the rider can turn in every direction by just leaning to go forward and backward or turning the steering grip to turn left and right.

The device was invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in 2001. Kamen describes the machine as "the world's first self-balancing human transporter."
Kamen created the machine by modeling it after the human body. Instead of legs, it has wheels. Instead of muscles, it has a motor. Instead of a brain, it has microprocessors and sensors, which helps the machine balance, much like a human's inner ear.

It was worth all $5,000 for Kufahl, who said the machine has given him new freedom. Kufahl often buzzes around his neighborhood in Rib Mountain or takes it to Barnes and Noble to get coffee.

Kufahl, 59, a retired Chicago music teacher who moved back to his hometown of Wausau five years ago, has only had it for a couple of weeks. He ordered the machine from amazon.com, which sells it exclusively. Before the 100-pound machine was delivered, Kufahl had to attend a training session in New Hampshire. For two hours, he was taught how to use the battery-powered device.

Kufahl said he attracts a lot of stares when he motors around on the Segway. He often stays on the device in the grocery store and other buildings.

"No one has told me to get out yet," Kufahl said. "I say pretty soon more people will have it and not think it's so odd."
The machine, with its human-like dimensions, was designed for easy, quick movement in big cities, and it can go wherever a person can go.

"I think it's the greatest thing," Kufahl said. "People will catch on and once the price goes down, it will be more common to see them."

Go to another Herald Article, July, 2003