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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 13 2005 : 10:28:23 AM
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Check it out:
I was able try out a Segway yesterday at the World Of Motorcycles Expo.
I must say that it's very cool. As most probably know, it self balances and you make it accellerate and decelerate by leaning. A small twist on the left hand handlebar causes it to turn. Really, you move it by willing it, because if you think about what you want to do, it won't work. Very creepy, and very natural. It certainly goes too. Accelleration is brisk, and it will almost stop on a dime.
I want one. There's a dealer in town, but their website sucks, and I have not seen any in use here, so they must be new. The price is, well, high. But once I finish the RX-7, I won't really have anything to spend my money on, so....
Edited by - Aaron Cake on Feb 13 2005 10:29:30 AM |
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2005 : 11:32:19 PM
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Thats pretty tight.
You could always build one....two motors, some Li-poly batteries, an accelerometer, pic and some Fets and youd be set. Well except for the software part
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2005 : 09:29:43 AM
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You mean, like this: http://www.g4techtv.com/freshgear/features/45543/Homemade_Segway.html
(His real website is currently down)
The factory made version is just very polished, I don't think I could come close with off the shelf stuff. Everything on the Segway seems to be specifically engineered for it.
The local dealer wants $6,000 Canadian for one, but I see that they usually go for around $3K US on eBay. Once the good weather arrives, I'll probably rent one for a month and see if I really "need" it, or it's just the cool factor taking over...
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wasssup1990
Nobel Prize Winner
A Land Down Under
2261 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2005 : 01:05:01 AM
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This unit is pretty cool, i've seen them before. There is also a wheel chair for the disabled which can lift its two front wheels up and balence on two wheels so the person can reach higher. The wheel chair can also get itself upstairs with the person in it of course. It's chance of falling or becoming unbalenced was very small.
My opinion on makeing one of those is:
It's not worth it, unless you are confident you have the patience to make one. You'd be stumped on the balence unit. The programing would be hard, since it would need to know how much you're leaning in order for it to go the right speed ahead maintaining the balence too. The rest should be easy, as long as you get the right motor for the job.
Over-all that unit is cool to own or hire. 
J.C. |
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2005 : 09:14:31 AM
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I think that in making one, 70% of the work would be software. The microcontroller, motor controllers, batteries and motors are all off the shelf stuff. But the production unit has triple redundant systems, etc. And it was very polished and solidly built.
Back before TechTV sucked, they had a segment on the ScreenSavers in which people built self-balancing Lego robots, so it can't be that hard. And they also had the homemade Segway guy as well.
Edited by - Aaron Cake on Feb 15 2005 09:15:36 AM |
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wasssup1990
Nobel Prize Winner
A Land Down Under
2261 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2005 : 5:29:31 PM
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Well the balence unit would be a special component in seleted stores because it would need to have a very fast responce time (rare), if you know what I mean. I could maybe build one myself but, it would respond very slowly.
The balence component for the LEGO would be a specialy manufactured peice.
J.C. |
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2005 : 6:56:50 PM
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all you would need is two accelerometers (something like what they use for the image steady in camcorders), one at the top and one at the bottom. A pic 18F should be able to handle the balance with another for motor control (could probibly fit it into one)
Edited by - Beatonno1 on Feb 15 2005 6:59:59 PM |
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2005 : 09:49:09 AM
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The Segway actually uses 5 gyroscopes. I've seen them surplus, and they aren't that expensive or rare. Not that I would want to make one myself though.
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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2005 : 2:14:27 PM
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Excellent!
I think of the Segway as one of those cool to have, though you could easly do without.
Those lego ones, couldn't you just use the angle sensor with a sort of pendulum device attached? or maybe an optical sensor pointed to the ground?
http://daxter12.topcities.com <Its updated as of 12/9/04, check out the Punk Phone! |
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Kale
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2005 : 4:52:29 PM
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There was a lot of talk when the Segway first came out a few years ago. The problem with them is that government regulations usually consider them a 'motor vehicle' and it is technically illegal to use them on the sidewalk in many jurisdictions. They are way too slow to be used on the road as well, so that really doesn't leave you many places where you can actually use the thing. That's why sales haven't been that brisk, and that's why they're still fairly expensive.
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2005 : 10:30:04 AM
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Yeah, I remember all the hype several years ago about "ginger" and "it". Funny thing is that after I heard the description that it would "revolutionize personal transportation", I guessed it was an electric scooter. 
Around here, I don't know if it is ilegal or not. I drive my electric scooter on the sidewalk all the time and nobody seems to care, so I don't think a Segway would cause much of a problem either.
I'm planning to rent one for my trip to Indianapolis in April/May. Should be fun.
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Kale
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2005 : 1:52:51 PM
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So how long do you think it would be before you tried to soop it up? Maybe a high-current 'afterburner'? Off-road tires? Splice an RX7 engine onto it?
I can see you now burning down the road with flames coming out from underneath the platform...
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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2005 : 7:24:47 PM
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you could raise the motor voltage or modify current limiters. That would probably give you some more go.
Then again, the thing is really expensive, i'd just leave it alone and be happy that i have one!
http://daxter12.topcities.com <Its updated as of 12/9/04, check out the Punk Phone! |
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wasssup1990
Nobel Prize Winner
A Land Down Under
2261 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2005 : 8:53:51 PM
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Yeah if I had one I wouldn't modify it.
J.C. |
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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2005 : 9:13:34 PM
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Technically, you cant ride bicycles on any sidewalk here in Geneva, but I've never been stopped.
http://daxter12.topcities.com <Its updated as of 12/9/04, check out the Punk Phone! |
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2005 : 03:50:08 AM
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put lithium poly batteries in it to add hours to your drive time (it may already use them?)
around here those scaled down motorcycles are pretty popular, you can get them with gas or electric motors (gas goes 30ish I think) i think people look pretty stupid on them personally. on campus people drive those on the sidetwalks, which could be dangerous .....everywhere else they use the bike lane
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Now I'm Drivin' The Segway
