how to motorise a uni

Exactly like 'this' (http://www.tlb.org/eunicycle.html).

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phlegm
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get some posh degrees learn about all that self balancing rubbish then
make one of them ^^^^^^^

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dale_dale

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what do you wish to accomplish by motorizing a uni? if you were to
simply mount a motor on your frame and direct-drive your wheel, well,
your coasting skills better be perfect or else you and your uni are in
for a good crash!

the problem is that a direct drive does not provide any of the
front-back balance needed to keep the unicycle upright. trevor's
self-balancing unicycle (linked from phlegm's post above) takes this
into consideration, using a closed-loop system: sensors determine if
the unicycle is falling fowards or backwards, and adjusts the motor's
speed accordingly.

another way people have been able to motorize one wheel involves moving
the rider into the center of the wheel... see many different types of
"monowheels" or "monocycles" here: http://tinyurl.com/rx11

don't be discouraged, however. if you've got an idea you're dying to
try out, go for it! a chain is an excellent way to transmit power from
a motor... however the chain and sprockets will need a cover to protect
the rider from getting all wound up. trevor's unicycle uses a timing
belt and pulleys to transmit power, but these components have the same
hazards as a chain... shoelaces can get wrapped around a pulley just as
easily. trevor had to machine a custom hub to incorporate a timing
belt... you could make life easier by using a giraffe-like setup with a
bicycle hub.

tell us more about your idea, the peanut gallery here would love to
offer you comments and critiques! 🙂

dale_dale said:

get some posh degrees learn about all that self balancing rubbish...

you don't need a degree to learn. a degree implies that you've spent
time learning something. but it's not always a good indicator of being
learned 🙂

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maestro8

Those are my principles. If you don't like those, I have others. --
Groucho Marx
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