Riderless stabilization of a balancing transporter

• Main Authors: KAMEN DEAN L, FIELD J. DOUGLAS, MORRELL JOHN B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.11.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; CYCLES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; FUNERAL DEVICES; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; MOTOR VEHICLES; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR; RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORCYCLES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRAILERS; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES; TRANSPORT OR ACCOMODATION FOR PATIENTS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A method for stabilizing a balancing transporter under riderless conditions. The balancing transporter is characterized by a center of mass, and has two laterally disposed wheels and a region of contact with an underlying surface. In accordance with the method, the absence of a user aboard the transporter is first detected. Then a desired transporter pitch is determined such as to establish a condition of stasis wherein the center of mass is disposed directly above the region of contact between the balancing transporter and the underlying surface. Finally, a torque is applied to the laterally disposed wheels so as to maintain the transporter at the desired transporter pitch. The torque may include coadded terms where the terms are, respectively, proportional to a pitch error, a pitch rate, a wheel rate, and an integral representing the wheel rotation that was required to bring the transporter to the condition of stasis.