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1.0 Introduction The Segway Human Transporter (HT) is a unique two wheel, self balancing locomotion device. It was designed to allow humans to move more quickly, cover more distance, and carry more than they could by walking. The manufacturer asserts that the Segway can go anywhere one can safely walk. The maximum speed a Segway can travel is 12.5 mph, which is about 3 times the average walking speed. The Segway Mobility Evaluation was initiated with the concept that if the Segway could provide convenience for the everyday person, perhaps it is versatile enough to enhance the tasks of military personnel. Military personnel are often presented with situations that deem the use of full sized military vehicles inconvenient or even impossible, yet it would be advantageous to have use of a device that would provide for greater versatility than walking. With its small size and its capability for speed, the Segway appears to be such a device. However, military personnel are often situated on surfaces and terrains that pose a greater challenge to maneuvering over than the average person faces. The paths can be rough, scattered with obstacles, and may include a variety of surface irregularities. Hence, it was necessary to determine if the Segway HT would still provide convenience if placed in an environment that is rougher and less predictable than the environments it was designed for. 2.0 Summary of Test Plan In order to obtain performance results that would be meaningful to the military, it was important to conform the Segway testing to a set military standard. The NATO Reference Mobility Model II (NRMMII) is a series of algorithms used by the US Army and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries to compute the maximum velocity of a specific vehicle over a specific terrain.
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