Stabilization
The One-Wheeled Vehicle
 

 

The stabilizing mechanisms for the one-wheeled vehicle must be able to counter perturbations in both the lateral (side to side) and longitudinal (front to back) directions. The stabilizing system for the one-wheeled vehicle includes two gyroscopes. The first gyroscope, whose main function is steering, also aids in lateral balance. It keeps the vehicle platform from dipping down on the left or right sides, since gyroscopes strongly resist changes to their rotation. Also affecting the lateral stability is a weight block at the rear end of the vehicle. The weight’s position is affected by the steering system. As the steering wheel turns, it affects the motion of a lever, which is then able to affect the position to the weight. As the lever moves, it moves the weight sideways, changing the center of mass of the vehicle, helping it to stay balanced.

The second gyroscope’s exact position on the one-wheeled vehicle is indeterminable from the drawings and explanations in the patent. However, its purpose is clear. The second gyroscope rotates in a plane parallel to that of the vehicle’s platform. As the platform tips longitudinally, it imparts an angular velocity in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the original angular velocity. The gyroscope then compensates by creating an angular acceleration, which imparts a force to the vehicle, restoring it to its original position and keeping it longitudinally balanced. Longitudinal balance may also be controlled by an airblower mounted at the end of the vehicle. As the vehicle tips forward, two small weights positioned longitudinally, and pinned at the middle rotate about the pin. A sensor registers how much they tip, and an electrical apparatus (undefined by Taylor ) processes the information. It then sends appropriate signals to a pair of solenoids, which affect the shutters of the airblower, thereby affecting how much force the airblower provides to the vehicle to keep it balanced.