How do segways balance

Thanks to the patented and high precision LeanSteer technology, you can not only steer the vehicle to the exact millimetre, but test out your sports driving ability, just like carving on skis. Just try it out for yourself! How did you find out about us: select Write a E-Mail.

Subscribe Newsletter. We move you. How the Segway PT functions. To move the Segway PT forward or backwards, the driver simply leans forward or backwards. To turn left or right, the driver simple tilts the LeanSteer handlebars to the left or right. When the driver stands upright, the vehicle stops. Segway engineers call this "dynamic stabilisation".

This body related steering belongs to the most intuitive worldwide and contributes substantially to the fun of driving. It is easy to understand what he means when you observe the vehicle in motion.

Unlike a car, the Segway PT has only two wheels, which means it is capable of standing upright by itself. How dynamic stabilisation functions. Ice or rainwater can create a lack of traction which can easily cause your Segway to fall and you along with it. Avoid any ground you think might be slippery. This can disturb the balance of the Segway and cause it to tip. The best plan of action is to get off the Segway and use its power assist mode to help climb an incline or go down a slope.

A bump or a hole is a dangerous thing for any vehicle and the Segway is no different. Running the tires into one of these can cause the Segway to lose control and topple. Even if it does not cause you to fall, there could still be damage to the wheels. Curbs are the same as bumps for a Segway, so avoid them as well. This kind of tilted ground will limit how well you can control your Segway and your balance. If the ground causes enough of a tilt to the Segway, you might fall over as well.

Just like the other obstacles, avoid uneven ground where possible. Now that you know how to keep you balance while riding a Segway you can enjoy it to the fullest. The last piece of advice we can give is to relax. It's easy and fun to operate. All you have to do is lean in the direction you want to go, and your Segway takes you there.

And don't worry, it takes care of the balancing-on-two-wheels part. The Segway is a two wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. Computers and motors in the base of the device keep the Segway upright when powered on with balancing enabled. Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward, and turn by using a "Lean Steer" handlebar, leaning it left or right.

Segways are driven by electric servos at up to 20 kilometres per hour. Gyroscopic sensors are used to detect tilting of the device, which indicates a departure from perfect balance. Motors driving the wheels are commanded as needed to bring the Segway back into balance. When the vehicle leans backward, the motors spin both wheels backward. When the rider operates the handlebar control to turn left or right, the motors spin one wheel faster than the other, or spin the wheels in opposite directions, so that the vehicle rotates.

This is certainly an amazing machine, but is it really as important as the Internet, as some have claimed? In the next section, we'll see what sort of impact this machine might have on the modern world. Inventor Dean Kamen admits that the Segway can never completely replace the car, because it doesn't have near the same capabilities. The standard HTi80 model only goes about 12 miles per hour 20 kph , and it has to be hooked up to household electrical current for about six hours to store up enough juice for a mile km journey.

Obviously, this sort of machine wouldn't do you much good on a cross-country road trip. But Kamen does believe the Segway is a superior option for getting around a city. Cars take up a lot of room, so as soon as you have a bunch of people driving in a constrained area like a city street , you get heavy traffic jams. It's also a hassle to park cars, and they are very expensive to maintain.

All in all, a car is not an optimal machine for short trips in a crowded area. The Segway is only slightly larger than a person, so it does not cause as much congestion as a car. As a sidewalk vehicle , it lets commuters zip through crowds, skipping the roadways completely. Just like scooters and bicycles, the vehicles will be involved in a good number of pedestrian accidents year to year.

But the Segway's supporters say it's only about as dangerous as walking, since the vehicle moves at relatively slow speeds. While it can't get people to their destinations at top speeds, the Segway can zip by slow-moving, bumper-to-bumper traffic. Once they get to their destination, riders can carry their Segways inside with them without worrying about parking. And there's no need to stop by the gas station, as the vehicle runs on ordinary household electricity.

Segways are also good machines for getting around crowded warehouses, where tight corridors make it difficult to use bulkier vehicles. People may find them useful for getting around large pedestrian areas, such as airports or amusement parks. There is really no limit to how people might use the vehicle. The Segway can fit in most places you might walk, but it will get you there faster, and you won't exert much energy. So far, the Segway hasn't made a whole lot of progress changing the world.

Since , sales have only numbered in the tens of thousands. The hefty price tag has probably been an obstacle. However, the company recently announced that it will offer financing and leasing options.

Segway also hopes that rising gas prices will help to boost sales. Kamen believes more and more people will want the machine, after they get familiar with it and see what it is capable of. To this end, he initially targeted government agencies and large corporations, not the consumer market. Three groups in Atlanta, Georgia, including the Atlanta Police Department, were the first to try out the Segway on city streets.

Only three years after its first mobile wonder, the folks at Segway focused on a four-wheeled, sportier sibling for the original Segway -- currently named the Centaur. Definitely sharing very similar lineage the main gyroscope-balanced base , the new kid on the Segway block is equipped with more than two extra wheels.

The steering utilizes both drive-by-wire technology and regular steering mechanics. While the four-wheel design gives it added maneuverability and a little more speed, drivers can switch up between using all four wheels or just two.

Think of it like having an SUV: For street driving, there's no need to turn on the four-wheel-drive system in your Touareg; but when you want to take it off-road, the capability is there. Centaur is an SUV, too -- a "Segway" utility vehicle, able to cover more ground, literally, than its older sib. These specifications are for the standard HT i model. To view additional specs, check out Segway's Products page. For information on the development of the Segway and the story of its creator, check out the links on the next page.

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