Loomo: a Segway you ride, and then it follows you

Loomo is a personal transporter and robot made by Segway Robotics. It raised over $1 million through crowdfunding, but when sales ended has not been confirmed.

MakerSegway Robotics (Segway’s robotics division). Segway was acquired by Beijing-based Ninebot in 2015

UnveiledShown with Intel at CES in January 2016. Developer kits shipped to partners from early 2017

LaunchIndiegogo campaign from March 2018, early-bird $1,299. Listed at $2,299.99 on a Segway store page

FormA two-wheeled transporter based on the Segway Mini Plus, with a touchscreen and gimbal camera added. About 19 kg, 650 mm tall. 8 km/h in robot mode, 18 km/h when ridden

SettingPersonal transport, filming, development and education (Loomo Academy and Enterprise, $5,990)

ReachRaised over $1 million on Indiegogo, about ten times its goal. Units sold not disclosed

NowIn October 2026 the segway.com robotics page still describes Loomo but has no purchase link

Ended byNot confirmed

Official siteSegway, Robotics ↗

See the robotNew Atlas, Segway Loomo (2018) ↗

Unknown whether sales ended (still described on the company site)

Timeline

2016.01Unveiled at CESWith Intel
2017Developer kitSupplied to partners
2018.03LaunchIndiegogo, $1,299
2019.01Delivery modelLoomo Delivery
2026.10Sales unclearNo buy link

A CES demo of a hoverboard that turns into a robot

Segway was acquired by Beijing-based Ninebot in April 2015. At CES in January 2016, Segway and Intel showed a prototype of a two-wheeled ride-on transporter that became a robot with an Intel RealSense camera. This was Loomo. It took the Segway Mini Plus and added AI, sensors, a touchscreen and a gimbal camera. It weighs about 19 kg and runs at 8 km/h in robot mode and 18 km/h when ridden.

Developer kits, crowdfunding, a delivery robot

Developer kits went first to partners such as BMW, Intel and MIT Smart Center in early 2017. At CES 2018, Loomo Academy and Enterprise editions for education and business were shown at $5,990. The consumer version launched through an Indiegogo campaign in March 2018. The early-bird price was $1,299, and the campaign raised over $1 million, about ten times its $100,000 goal. Shipping to backers began at the end of May 2018. At CES in January 2019, Loomo Delivery was announced for office buildings and malls. In October 2026 the segway.com robotics page still describes Loomo but has no purchase link.

It carried the bag, but for whom?

Matt Burns of TechCrunch tried Loomo at CES 2018 and wrote: “The robot easily performed as advertised and carried my bag for me.” He added that the device was loaded with so many features that the company seemed to have a hard time defining its target market, and that without a clear sales message it would be hard to sell.

Between a vehicle and a robot

Loomo combined a device that carries a person with a robot that follows one. The review pointed less to its performance in the demo than to the unclear question of what it was for. It is worth comparing with Samsung’s Ballie, which was shelved indefinitely after announced launches.

Among all the things this robot does, which one would people actually pay for?

What we haven’t confirmed

Whether sales ended, and if so when and who decided
Units sold and the number of Indiegogo backers
Whether Loomo Delivery was ever sold
Range (18 miles, 22 miles, 30 miles or about 30 km, sources differ)