Japan's Toyota Motor on Friday unveiled the Winglet -- a new two-wheel electric scooter to rival the Segway.

The Winglet, which the automaker describes as "a personal transport assistance robot", can be controlled by shifting body weight, allowing the rider to go forward, backward and turn while standing upright.

It cruises at a speed of up to six kilometres (four miles) per hour and comes in three sizes.

Toyota plans to start practical tests of Winglet later this year at an airport in central Nagoya city and a shopping mall in Yokohama, west of Tokyo, in 2009, the company said.