In the movie "Field of Dreams," Kevin Costner plays a corn farmer who hears voices telling him to build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere.

He does, under the premise that, "If you build it, they will come."

The movie was about pursuing one's dreams no matter how much effort it takes or how offbeat the dream might be

You don't have to tell that to Dean Kamen.

Kamen is founder and president of DEKA Research and Development Corp.

He's an inventor and an entrepreneur and he loves technology and science.

He is driven to apply technology to practical uses and holds more than 150 U.S. and foreign patents. Gaining the most notoriety recently was his unveiling of "It." Or Ginger. Or the Segway HT (HT stands for Human Transporter).

According to segway.com, the Segway HT is "the first of its kind - a self-balancing, personal transportation device that's designed to operate in any pedestrian environment. It makes businesses more productive by providing them with a tool to more effectively manage time, space and resources. It gives workers the carrying capacity and speed to contribute more. It gives people everywhere the ability to move faster and carry more, allowing them to commute, shop and run errands more efficiently. And it does it all by harnessing some of the most advanced, thoroughly tested technology ever created."

Basically, it's a battery-powered scooter-like device that a single person can ride on.

It can go over grass, dirt or uneven pavement. It has a system of several gyroscopes and pressure-sensitive plates that allows it to anticipate the movement of the rider.

Basically, you lean to the right and it turns to the right. You lean to the left, it turns left. You lean forward, it moves forward. Lean back and it stops.

The thing sells for around $3,000 and is set for release in the next month or so.

Kamen says it has the potential to revolutionize the way humans move around.

Not exactly on my Christmas wish list, but pretty cool, nonetheless.

But, alas, in a testament to the litigiousness of modern society, it seems there is a group of attorneys ready, willing and able to file the first round of lawsuits against the Segway.

This before the thing has even been made available to the public.

That's right, they are prepared to specialize in Segway injury cases.

The group of lawyers - the USA Immigration Law Center - have put up their own Web site, sue-it.com

Get a load of some of this stuff (They continually refer to the Segway HT as "It"):

• If people ride this vehicle on the street, they will be the bane of drivers everywhere. If people riding the Segway get hit on the street by a car, motorcyclist or possibly even bicyclist, they run the risk of sustaining serious bodily injury.

• The sidewalks are potentially a much bigger concern. Sidewalks are already crowded in urban areas, and many people view the sidewalk as a place to walk safely. Imagine going out for a jog one day on the sidewalk and seeing It barrel towards you in the opposite direction. Some people hate skateboarders, imagine how angry people will be at It.

And there's much more:

• As of now, there is no riding age for "It." Young kids will always be at a risk for using the Segway. Courts will likely find It to be an attractive nuisance.

• Taking illegal drugs is always illegal, but there will likely be a rash of inebriated people leaving bars in the near future and hopping on Segways. Potential new catch phrase: "Why drink and drive when you can drink and It?"

• There exist many crazy examples of people getting killed over shoes and clothing. Also, car-jackings are even problems in small towns. So imagine how many people are likely to get robbed, mugged and assaulted on stand-up $3,000 scooters. Or just imagine how many people are likely to have these things stolen, especially as they become more proliferate.

And probably the most absurd of all reasons to sue It:

• "It" runs the risk of being unhealthy. DEKA, the creators of It, sent out many publicity pieces of yahoos riding around on the Segway in their house and while doing other routine tasks. The purpose of these PR works of spin was clearly to show that "It" is highly maneuverable. However, we think DEKA also desires the Segway to become a natural part of daily life and activities. Americans already get too little exercise. The last thing Americans or any other nation for that matter needs is a device that causes laziness.

Yeah, and perhaps we should sue the manufacturer of the Lazy Boy recliners.

Frankly, this kind of thing is unsettling to me. If these suits are filed, successful or not, they will drain the resources of the company. Suits like this become a huge disincentive to innovation. They become a huge disincentive to doing business of any kind.

Hmmm, I'm carrying around a few extra pounds. Maybe I should sue the guy who fills the vending machine in the office. I can't stay off those T.G.I. Friday's Bacon and Cheddar Potato Skins.

Allow me to paraphrase the tag line from "Field of Dreams" and write a new screenplay.

We'll call the new film "Field of Schemes." The new tagline? "Build it, and they will sue." [[In-content Ad]]