#6 – Segway

Some people do not feel the Segway was a failure, and continue to love the product today. When the Segway was introduced to the market by Dean Kamen in 2001, it was introduced as a world changing method of transportation. The science behind the Segway, and the balancing technology it is based on, are without a doubt, brilliant. However, the Segway never caught on as a vehicle for the average consumer. First, it was poorly marketed. When the Segway was introduced, it was not sold in big-box stores, only on Amazon and the Segway website. Second, it was problematic in that it was not allowed on streets, and it was not allowed on pedestrian-only sidewalks. This meant it was unusable in most major cities around the world. It was also hyped as the future of transportation, and it was unable to live up to that hype. It is still in production, but only used in niche markets.