Electric unicycle


An electric unicycle is a self-balancing personal transporter with a single wheel. The rider controls the speed by leaning forwards or backwards, and steers by twisting the unit using their feet. The self-balancing mechanism uses gyroscopes and accelerometers.

Operation

Most commercial units are self-balancing in the direction of travel only with lateral stability being provided by the rider; more complex fully self-balancing dual-axis devices also need to self-balance from side to side. The control mechanisms of both use control moment gyroscopes, reaction wheels and/or auxiliary pendulums and can be considered to be inverted pendulum.

History

Early experimentation

A hand-power monowheel was patented in 1869 by Richard C. Hemming with a pedal-power unit patented in 1885. Various motorized monowheels were developed and demonstrated during the 1930s without commercial success and Charles F Taylor was granted a patent for a "vehicle having a single supporting and driving wheel" in 1964 after some 25 years of experimentation.

Commercialisation

In 2003, Bombardier announced a conceptual design for such a device used as a sport vehicle, the Embrio. In September 2004 Trevor Blackwell demonstrated a functional self-balancing unicycle, using the control-mechanism similar to that used by the Segway PT and published the designs as the Eunicycle. In November 2006 Janick and Marc Simeray filed a US patent for a compact seatless device,. In 2008 RYNO Motors demonstrated their prototype unit. In January 2009 Focus Designs demonstrates electric unicycle to Segway inventor. In March 2010 Shane Chen of Inventist filed a patent application for a seatless electric unicycle. In Oct 2010 Focus Designs published a video of an electric unicycle with hub motor and a seat.
Late in 2015, the Ford Motor Company patented a "self-propelled unicycle engagable with vehicle", intended for last-mile commuters.

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