Fwd: eniCycle - worth a look at the movie
Jerry Schneider
-------------------------------------------
>Here is a rather simple but unique transport solution that I think
>your readers would find interesting:
>
><http://www.enicycle.com/what.html>http://www.enicycle.com/what.html
>
>This is an electric unicycle that uses Segway style balancing
>technology to remove the acrobatic skill. Said to have a range of
>30km and a top speed about like a bicycle. Could easily handle
>shorter range commutes.
- Jerry Schneider -
Innovative Transportation Technologies
http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans
Walter Brewer
stabilization process.
But from a practical point of view what's wrong with a much cheaper tandem
two wheel scooter? Can't do hairpin turns, but how often do you need them?
And the gryoscopic torque from the turnable front wheel is a proven way
provide lateral stability and to initiate turns.
Walt Brewer
Luca Guala
> Segway inventor Kaman deserves a cleverness prize for the longitudinal
stabilization process.
> But from a practical point of view what's wrong with a much cheaper tandem
two wheel scooter? Can't do hairpin turns, but how often do you need them?
> And the gryoscopic torque from the turnable front wheel is a proven way
provide lateral stability and to initiate turns.
Bicycles, and much worse, tandems and scooters are a clumsy way to go around
crowded pedestrian areas. Segways can stop, crawl, go at walking speed and
mix with pedestrians with no hassle once you have learnt to ride them. The
major fault of the Segway is its price!
The gyro effect to initiate turns is not a scientific explanation of how a
bicycle turns. Rather a "let's make ourselves happy with this, in lack of a
better one". We are about to find the Higgs boson but nobody knows exactly
how bicycles turn. To explain how counter steering works, bicycle scientists
are divided in two factions: the gyro-effect faction and the counter-lean
faction. They do not speak to each other
Cheers
Luca
Walter Brewer
The Segway price problem is just another way to say over complexity for the
function performed.
I agree about bikes mixed with pedesreians, but scooters can be very small,
and can stop.
I specifically said gyro initiated turn to avoid the misconception of "gyro
stabilized" many think is automatic.
I'm happy to speak with both schools because it takes both lean to counter
centrepital force, and the counter rotation of the steering to create the
initiating lean.
I assume you have ridden in sand or such so your tire marks are visible and
watched the reaction to a slight steering shift.
Walt Brewer
Walter Brewer
And watch out for those pedestrians!
Luca Guala
I misinterpreted your "scooter" with "motorscooter" because in Italy
motorscooters are called scooters (and scooters of course have a different
name). I agree with you that non-motorized scooters can mix with pedestrians
and as a matter of fact I see more of them around than segways. Also an
increasing number of foldable bikes, some with tiny caster wheels like
scooters or skateboards. I guess they are easier to carry on PT or in the
hood of a car than a segway.
As for the wheel gyroscopic effect vs. the "lean" effect of counter
steering, I was on a cyclists list once, and there has been a big
discussion, with academic papers being thrown at the members of the opposite
factions like flak. I probably still have some. There is convincing evidence
that the gyroscopic effect is not so important in initiating a turn. I also
did my own experimental tests with a bicycle, a motorcycle and a scooter...
Regards
Luca
Ing. Luca Guala
senior consultant
gu...@systematica.net
Walter Brewer
behaved as the Segway one.
Suppose you have a bike with a hypothetical front wheel with zero moment of
inertia, thus no lateral torque when turned to steer. Could you ride the
bike?
Walt Brewer
----- Original Message -----
From: "Luca Guala" <gu...@systematica.net>
To: <transport-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 4:01 AM
Subject: [t-i] R: [t-i] Re: R: [t-i] Re: Fwd: eniCycle - worth a look at the
movie
>
gu...@systematica.net
My answer is yes to both.
Cheers Luca
Le mail ti raggiungono ovunque con BlackBerry® from Vodafone!
-----Original Message-----
From: "Walter Brewer" <catc...@roadrunner.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:22:26
To: <transport-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [t-i] Re: R: [t-i] Re: R: [t-i] Re: Fwd: eniCycle - worth a look at