Segway PT The
Segway PT is a two-wheeled self-balancing
personal transporter which uses computers, sensors, and electric motors to keep the device upright. The rider commands the PT to go forward or backward by shifting their weight forward or backward on the platform. The maximum speed of the Segway PT is with a range of on a fully charged
lithium-ion battery, depending on terrain, riding style, and the condition of the batteries. Invented by
Dean Kamen, it is produced by
Segway Inc. Self-balancing scooter The
self-balancing scooter is a category of personal transporter which includes all self-balancing powered portable devices with two parallel wheels that includes the
Segway PT, the Segway miniPRO and the
self-balancing hoverboard.
Diwheel design The diwheel design has the two large outer wheels completely encompassing an inner frame. The inner frame is free to rotate within the wheels, and is typically supported by a common axle or idlers which roll on the wheels (see figure). Diwheels, like their more popular cousins the
monowheel, have been around for almost one and a half centuries. All of these platforms suffer from two common issues affecting driver comfort;
slosh and tumbling (also known as gerbilling). Sloshing is when the inner frame
oscillates, and it occurs in all monowheels and diwheels where the centre of gravity of the inner frame is offset from the centre line of the wheels. It is very prevalent as these platforms typically have low
damping between the wheel and the frame, to minimise power consumption during locomotion. In addition, during severe braking or acceleration the inner frame will tumble relative to the earth centred frame, which affects the ability of the driver to control the platform. Both the sloshing and tumbling issue can be controlled through feedback control, and has been demonstrated successfully. The equations of motion for the diwheel have been published. == Gallery ==