Self-balancing unicycle

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The problem of creating a self-balancing unicycle, a self-powered unicycle that balances itself in three dimensions, is an interesting problem in robotics and control theory.

The theoretical work on the unicycle problem is complemented by work on the construction of actual mechanically ridden unicycles.

Control theory of the self-balancing unicycle

To first order, a self-balancing unicycle can be considered as a non-linear control system similar to that of a two-dimensional inverted pendulum with a unicycle cart at its base: however, there are many higher-order effects involved in modelling the full system. Rotation of the drive wheel itself can provide control in only one dimension (i.e., forwards and backwards): control in other dimensions generally requires other actuators, such as auxiliary pendulums, reaction wheels, or control moment gyroscopes attached to the main unicycle pendulum.

Early work

A number of academic papers have been published that either investigate the problem theoretically, or document laboratory-scale prototypes. A number of student and amateur engineering projects have implemented similar designs. Self-riding self-balancing unicycles are necessarily two-axis balancing devices.

Human-ridable self-balancing unicycles

Single-axis self-balancing ridable unicycles

A number of self-balancing unicycles have been created which are self-balancing only in the forwards-backwards direction, and still need a human being to balance them from side to side. Trevor Blackwell's Eunicycle is an example of a human-ridable single-axis self-balancing unicycle. Focus Designs advertises a similar commercial device.[1] Inventist markets a stand-up, seatless version called the Solowheel,[2] and a cheaper version of a device that works on the same principle called the Airwheel is available from Amazon.[3] The R.I.O.T. Wheel is a ridable single-axis self-balancing unicycle with an unusually low centre of gravity, with its rider in front of, rather than on top of its single wheel, balanced by a counterweight within the wheel. Yet another entry in the market is Mobbo Electric Unicycle:[4]

True two-axis self-balancing ridable unicycles

A two-axis self-balancing unicycle balances itself both forward and backward, and also side to side.

  • In 2003, Bombardier announced a conceptual design for such a device used as a sport vehicle, the EMBRIO. It is unclear whether Bombardier ever intends to create a working prototype of this vehicle.
  • Aleksander Polutnik's Enicycle (2006) is probably the first two-axis balancing human-ridable unicycle.[5]
  • In 2009, RYNO Motors of Portland, Oregon created a one-wheeled electric motorcycle called the Micro-Cycle.[6] According to the company, a commercial version is scheduled to begin shipping in April 2014.[7]

Similar-looking vehicles that are not true unicycles

A number of vehicles are almost self-balancing unicycles:

  • The Segway is a vehicle which is capable of automatically balancing itself in the forwards-and-backwards direction, but is a dicycle with two parallel wheels rather than being capable of balancing from side to side.
  • In 2006, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a 2-dimensional inverted pendulum that balances on a ball rather than a wheel.[8]
  • The Uno, a vehicle that superficially resembles a self-balancing unicycle but is actually a dicycle with its two wheels very close together
  • The Honda U3-X looks like a self-balancing unicycle, but balances on a powered Omni wheel rather than on a single wheel

Fictional self-balancing unicycles

See also

References

  1. ↑ Slide 3 Slide 3 (2013-04-17). "Self-Balancing Unicycle | Focus Designs, Inc. | The SBU is the coolest light electric vehicle on the market. The gyro-stabilized SBU contains full-frontal nerdity!". Focusdesigns.com. Retrieved 2013-04-26. 
  2. ↑ Inventist Solowheel
  3. ↑ Airwheel at Amazon
  4. ↑ Mobbo Electric Unicycle
  5. ↑ "Introduction". Enicycle.com. Retrieved 2013-04-26. 
  6. ↑ http://rynomotors.com/ Micro-Cycle — archived RYNO Motors 'blog page
  7. ↑ About RYNO Motors page.
  8. ↑ Carnegie Mellon Press Release, August 6, 2006 – "Ballbot"
  9. ↑ ANALOG — Science Fiction/Science Fact, Vol. LXXXIII, No. 5, July 1969, pp. 120-151. Illustrations by Peter Skirka.
  10. ↑ "Little Wheel - game at". Fastgames.com. Retrieved 2013-04-26. 

Further reading

  • S. V. Ulyanov et al. Soft computing for the intelligent robust control of a robotic unicycle with a new physical measure for mechanical controllability. Soft Computing Volume 2 Issue 2 (1998) pp 73–88.
  • Zenkov, DV, AM Bloch, and JE Marsden [2001] The Lyapunov-Malkin Theorem and Stabilization of the Unicycle with Rider. Systems and Control Letters, Volume 45, Number 4, 5 April 2002, pp. 293–302(10) (postscript format available here )
  • Zenkov, DV, AM Bloch, NE Leonard and JE Marsden, Matching and Stabilization of Low-dimensional Nonholonomic Systems. Proc. CDC, 39, (2000), 1289-1295. (pdf format available here )
  • Sheng, Zaiquan; Yamafuji, Kazuo: Realization of a Human Riding a Unicycle by a Robot. Proceedings of the 1995 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 2 (c1995), pp 1319–1326
  • A. Schoonwinkel, "Design and test of a computer stabilized unicycle," Ph.D. dissertation, Stanford University, California, 1987.
  • Johnson, R.C. Unicycles and bifurcations, American J. of Physics, volume 66, no.7, 589-92

External links

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