When Buck Ward first saw a Segway, he knew he had to get one.

"My first reaction was 'I want to get on it.' My second reaction was 'I have to have one,'" Ward said.

Shortly after his first ride, Ward handed over his credit card. He was officially one of "those guys" who rides a Segway.

"The first one I ever rode was in D.C. and the D.C. dealer will tell you the first day I rode one, I didn't buy one. I bought five."

Now he is taking his love of the quasi-futuristic personal transporter to the next level. In May, Ward will open the doors to Segway of Richmond, Richmond's first and only Segway dealership, which is located in Shockoe Slip at 1301 E. Cary St.

For those not sure exactly what a Segway is, it's a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric powered transportation device. It was invented by robotics innovator Dean Kamen and officially unveiled in December 2001 with much fanfare and national media attention. The current models have a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour and a range of approximately 25 miles on a single six- to eight-hour charge.

If you have never ridden one, the Segway is fairly easy to operate, even if you are balance-challenged. Once you step on board, you simply lean forward to go forward or lean back to slow down, stop or move backward. To turn, you lean either left or right. (On a personal note, Richmond.com rented one for a few days and it is pretty neat and a lot of fun.)

Though you may not have seen many Segways in use in Richmond so far, you may have seen them zipping around in other major U.S. cities. Ward hopes to change that.

"It is an incredibly fun experience unlike anything else," he said. "It is not a golf cart. It is not a bicycle. ... It's just fun smart transportation."

Even before the Segway came out in 2001, Ward's interest in robotics was strong. For the past few decades, he has worked in robot development with automated floor cleaning and security systems as well as interactive kiosks. Then last fall, Ward said he literally stumbled across the Segway.

"The more I looked at the personal transporter, the more I got interested in it," he said. "In a lot of the places that we are selling into like commercial warehouses and distribution centers, a Segway PT would really make a lot of sense."

Since opening his dealership, Ward has already sold quite a few units in the Richmond area. One of his first customers was security company Wackenhut, which uses five units to patrol the grounds at Philip Morris.

"They have found that not only are they more productive, but their customers really like them," he said. "They know that they are also more productive because they can go more places and see more places without the fatigue factor that they would otherwise have walking around."

However, besides commercial sales, Ward really hopes he can get more commuters out of their cars and traveling to and from work on a Segway.

"There are a number of people who have bought units here in Richmond that I have sold that actually commute from home to work and back," he said. "It is so easy you can just drive it into your office building and on to the elevator and up to your office and plug it in."

Though they start at about $5,100 per unit, Ward believes that's a viable expense when you consider all the costs that owning a vehicle brings with it. Plus, as more people move downtown, he says it just makes sense.

"When you look at the city's master plan, according to the research provided by the consultants that they hired, anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 families will be moving into downtown Richmond over the next 10 years," he said. "For those people living and working in downtown Richmond where parking is an issue and very expensive, not to mention fuel costs, how easy would it be to rather hop on a PT at your condo, ride up to work, park it for your day's activities and then ride back?"

Though some, including Apple's Steve Jobs, made early predictions that the Segway would one day supersede the car, Ward says many would probably use it to supplement their transportation instead.

"People won't be replacing their cars, but it will be sort of like a second car," he said. "For the grand opening, we are actually having some bumper stickers made up that say 'My other car is a Segway.'"

Other than sales, Ward also offers rentals and guided tours of the city. He has also brokered some partnerships with the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Valentine Richmond History Center for other Segway tour options.

Ward is also hoping to offer local companies an additional marketing, advertising and promotions tool. He has developed a large shield that can be affixed to the from of his transporters that essentially turn the Segway into a rolling billboard.

"Whenever you are advertising you obviously want to create a unique way to catch eyeballs and I've never seen something like this in Richmond."

For more information about the local Segway dealership, visit Segway of Richmond's Web site at www.segwayofrichmond.biz or call 804-357-3100.