The way we transit has been changing rapidly with the times, but the mode of shorter commutes has still been more or less the same. Segway had become an instant hit with its self balancing electric vehicles which can be used for shorter commutes. Xiaomi has backed Ninebot to buy Segway and it finally did so for an undisclosed amount earlier this year. The Ninebot Mini is the first product after acquiring Segway and it does boast of a great set of features at an affordable price, of course.
NineBot Mini is a self-balancing scooter that can be steered with your legs, suppose you want to move to the right all you need to do is exert extra pressure on the right leg. The NineBot Mini is capable of tackling inclines as steep as 15-degrees with relative ease and yet achieve speeds of up to 16km/h. The Nine Bot Mini is compact and can be stoved away easily in a car or can also be carried around, the fact that it weighs in at 16KG makes it easy to carry around.
The NineBot Mini is slower and has cut down corners on some of the features as opposed to the NineBot One, yet, it still makes sense for an affordable personal transport scooter. The NineBot Mini will retail at just RMB 1999 ($314) which is definitely a steal especially if we take into account the Segway i2 SE which is currently selling at a whopping RMB 78,000 ($12,262). Plus the self-balancing scooter also comes with optional safety gear so that you can just zoom around without worrying about a thing.
The NineBot mini travels 22kms on a single charge and it can also be controlled with a smartphone app. Like Drones, self-balancing scooters have recently been in for a debate as to whether they are safe, and in fact countries like Britain have banned Segways from being ridden on roads and pavements. That being said it will take some time for the authorities to realize the utility of these transporters and it can be the best way to facilitate personal transport in large university campuses, malls and airports. Till then, you can put your lazy foot forward and tax away on the NineBot Mini.