Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping (EDWARD)

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Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping (EDWARD)
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An honors mechanical engineering project from a group of thirteen at Australia’s University of Adelaide:

Many diwheels in the past have been human powered or powered by IC engines. This one is purely electric. It has additional functionality lacking in other models, including inbuilt dynamic lateral stability and slosh control to prevent “gerbiling” or tumbling in aggressive braking or acceleration maneuvers. The diwheel also incorporates a unique feature that allows the rider to drive the vehicle when “upside down” – keeping the vehicle in its unstable state is achieved using a combined swingup and inversion controller. The mechanical design and some of the electronics was completed in 2009, with the majority of the electronics and control systems developed in 2010.

Many more details available at the project website. [via Hack a Day]

58 thoughts on “Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping (EDWARD)

  1. Jarmai Silvestre says:

    THIS is what you call a Design prototype!

  2. Jarmai Silvestre says:

    THIS is what you call a Design prototype!

  3. Jarmai Silvestre says:

    THIS is what you call a Design prototype!

  4. Jarmai Silvestre says:

    THIS is what you call a Design prototype!

  5. JAmes says:

    Where’s the mouth controls? I think Mr. Garrison would be rather upset to see that it’s been taken out of his design.

    1. Sean Michael Ragan says:

      I thought very seriously about an “IT” joke, but this is not really the right forum…  Also, FWIW, Garrison’s design was a monowheel… =]

  6. JAmes says:

    Where’s the mouth controls? I think Mr. Garrison would be rather upset to see that it’s been taken out of his design.

  7. JAmes says:

    Where’s the mouth controls? I think Mr. Garrison would be rather upset to see that it’s been taken out of his design.

  8. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  9. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  10. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  11. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  12. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  13. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  14. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  15. Anonymous says:

    There really is a powerful engineering urge to put the rider inside the diameter of the wheel.  Other than various star-wars™ designs (which were in turn based on wonderful pulp sci-fi covers (oh, and one typically disturbing south-park episode)), can anyone smarter-than-me suggest an advantage to that approach?  (and i’m not buying any gyro stability arguments since i read this: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/why-a-speeding-bicycle-tends-to-stay-upright.html [wink])

  16. Anonymous says:

    General Grievous  called… he said he wants his car back… http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZDQFOQLZQOw/TAMbsoEcUvI/AAAAAAAAAqM/DgIzp4TkbG4/s1600/bigwheel.jpg
    Very cool though… looks like fun to drive.

  17. Stevan Farkas says:

    so, what if the three points of connection were linear motors?

  18. Stevan Farkas says:

    so, what if the three points of connection were linear motors?

  19. water coolers says:

    Good post.This machine is very helpful for us in making different embroidery designs & downloading,convert digital photos.The special feature in this is the wheel of the machine  that allows the rider to drive the vehicle when “upside down”

  20. water hygiene says:

    Hey, this embroidery machine help us in reducing work load.It has various latest features. This machine is suitable for doing embroidery work.I would like to read your other updates.Keep it up.

  21. complete pa systems says:

    This sewing machine is really awesome. It provide the comfort & good out put.Thanks for giving this information to us.Its great.Keep it up.

  22. optical measuring machines says:

    Great article.Interesting article.I enjoy at the time of reading this article.This machine is really a awesome creation.i like this.It has lots of features..Thanks for sharing this article with us.

  23. hdpostproductioneditingediting says:

    Hello Its very nice article.Its really a very great invention.This is look wise  is also nice machine.Its the according to the choice of the peoples.I like this article so much.Keep it up.

  24. boiler repair says:

    Nice post.This EDWARD incorporates a unique feature that allows the rider to drive the vehicle when “upside down” – then its in an unstable stage achieved using a combined swing up and inversion controller.Its very powerful urge.Keep sharing with us.

  25. Joseph Duncan says:

    Completly serious here how much would it cost to have one built and shipped to the US. I would like to have one of my own. Money isn’t an object for me and I would like to either have one built for me or to have the plans to build one of my own.
    Thank You

  26. Joseph Duncan says:

    Completly serious here how much would it cost to have one built and shipped to the US. I would like to have one of my own. Money isn’t an object for me and I would like to either have one built for me or to have the plans to build one of my own.
    Thank You

  27. Joseph Duncan says:

    Completly serious here how much would it cost to have one built and shipped to the US. I would like to have one of my own. Money isn’t an object for me and I would like to either have one built for me or to have the plans to build one of my own.
    Thank You

  28. Mack says:

    I like
    this content. The diwheel also incorporates a unique feature that allows
    the rider to drive the vehicle .This is an amazing content.The written skill
    is so good.I appreciate to this content.Thanks to share this blog with
    us.Keep sharing.

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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