People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.” - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

The original version of this article first appeared in The Business Times. Once heralded as a game-changer in transportation and what “will be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy,” the Segway was eventually relegated to glorified scooters for fanny-pack wearing tourists and mall security guards. The Segway was supposed to revolutionise postal services, police patrols and solve air pollution. The creator Dean Kamen once said he wished for US Special Forces troops to one day ride the machines into battle. Even Jeff Bezos was convinced, and he called it “one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time” before the Segway first went on sale on Amazon.com. But this once viral sensation and technological marvel went down in flames shortly after launch...