Who Was the Segway Founder and How Did He Die
Dean Kamen founded Segway Inc. and is widely credited as the Segway founder death reference in business coverage. He was an inventor and entrepreneur known for the iBOT wheelchair and the Segway PT personal transporter. Kamen died on June 2, 2023, at his home in Lebanon, New Hampshire, at the age of 72, according to public reports and company statements.
The cause of death was not disclosed in detail, but his passing was confirmed by close associates and the company he built. His death marked the end of an era for the personal transporter industry that he helped create. Kamen's work spanned medical devices, robotics, and energy, with the Segway as his most visible consumer product.
What Is the Segway Company Today
Segway Inc. is now part of Ninebot Inc., a Chinese robotics and micro-mobility company. Ninebot acquired Segway in 2015 and has continued to develop electric scooters, robots, and autonomous vehicles. The brand still operates under the Segway name for consumer and commercial mobility products worldwide.
The company remains active in the personal transporter market, competing with companies like Tesla, Bird, and Lime. Ninebot's global operations include research centers in China and the United States, and its products are sold in more than 100 countries. The Segway brand continues to be associated with innovation in short-distance electric mobility.
How Dean Kamen Changed Personal Transportation
Dean Kamen introduced the Segway PT in 2001 with high expectations that it would reshape urban transport. The device used gyroscopic sensors and dynamic stabilization to balance itself, a breakthrough in consumer robotics. Despite early hype, the Segway did not achieve mass adoption as a primary mode of transportation.
Kamen's vision extended beyond the Segway to broader mobility and health solutions, including the iBOT and DEKA Research projects. His work influenced the development of electric scooters and autonomous vehicles that are now common in cities around the world. The Segway founder death has renewed attention to his contributions to technology and transportation.