A team of engineers at We Make Machines YouTube Channel has built a self-balancing bicycle with an aim to increase bicycle safety and eliminate human errors. Even though the project has made the cycle bulky and not being able to make turns it is interesting to see how self balancing is achieved using gyroscopic stabilization and learn about the potential problems that occur along with it
The bicycle is propelled by a 13-horsepower electric motor and uses a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) Control system. This LQR algorithm continuously analyses the bikes tilt angles, angular velocity and motor torque to calculate the gyroscope adjustments, ensuring precise control and stability.
However the team faced challenges with the high-speed gyroscope, which induced a significant vibration and inferred with the sensor reading. To mitigate this they experimented with various sensor mounting techniques and vibration isolation material which seems to have increased the stabilization of the bicycle. While the project encountered setbacks with mechanical failures and sensor limitations it is interesting to see the foundational idea for a self balancing bicycle vehicle technology.
