Appreciating self-balancing technology

[SegwayUtah]

There's an entrant for the DARPA "Grand Challenge" which is working on, basically, a self-balancing dirt-bike.

It's called the "Ghost Rider" -- check out the videos. Hey, at least they made it a few feet before wiping out!

http://www.ghostriderrobot.com/

Watching demonstrations like this make me appreciate the _years_ of work that Segway engineers put into making the HT so seamless and so perfect in its balancing abilities.

Chris

[Zorba9]

Chris thats a cute little rascal! Do you think this is how DK got started?-:)

KOG



Zorba9.....

[Sal]

I must point out, that this is rather impressive, in that getting something with tandem wheels to self balance is a tricky proposition than something with non-tandem wheels.

I'm not taking anything away from Segway, choosing to go the non-tandem route is much safer than this dirtbike.

-Sal

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[gotseg]

Thats accualy amazing that it can stay balanced that long without moving all that fast. Id imagin that it would do awsome on pavement.

http://www.giguphosting.com/gotseg/gotseg.gif

[StephenM]

quote:Originally posted by SegwayUtah

Watching demonstrations like this make me appreciate the _years_ of work that Segway engineers put into making the HT so seamless and so perfect in its balancing abilities.

If you review all the schools involved in the DARPA/MARS project you can find plenty of footage of autonomus Segways taking tumbles. It makes me appreciate how much of Segway's stability is still due to the onboard operator.
http://www.darpa.mil/ipto/programs/mars/rmp.htm

[SegwayUtah]

gotseg,

I didn't have a chance to look at it much, but I'm guessing that they're shifting a big weight left and right in addition to using the front wheel to maintain balance. Otherwise, there's pretty much _no way_ it could stand still while stopped.

Or could just moving the front wheel back and forth make it balance? Intriguing . . .

Chris

[Neelix]

I assume these guys are in Berkley, I'd like to show them my Segway and maybe have a look at their balancing robot, but I couldn't find any contact info on that site.

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[GadgetmanKen]

My son had a R/C controlled motorcycle that had something similar to what it does. Only it didn't balance at a standstill. It had the steering like that and the little riders body shifted from side to side by mere gravity. I think they accomplish the balance almost in the same manner. Sometimes on a bicycle you can achieve a stationary balance momentarily by moving the front wheel back and forth. Having the axis behind center would help. Perhaps they also have a tilt sensor inside it that moves the steering back and forth and a weight shifting mechanism as well

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"