I remember all the hype about the Segway when it was first released. The idea of a future where we all rode around on these things was fun but not realistic with the price tag they carried. The design may have been something impressive from an engineering stance but if it doesn't feel right instantly to the user then something is not right.
Yes. And as they designed these modern scooters, they realized that all of that balancing contraption with gyroscopes wasn't really necessary, since people balance themselves.