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- The System -
The sensor system is made up of delicate gyroscopes, or spinning
wheels built into a frame. Using applied force to move the object
itself, the spinning wheel maintains its position relative to the
ground, even when it is tilted. By noting the position of the gyro’s
spinning wheel in relation to the position of the frame, a sensor
can identify the ‘pitch’ of an object, or how far it is tilting away
from an upright position, and also the ‘pitch rate,’ or how quickly
it is tilting. This complex system keeps the Segway’s wheels from
spinning out from under the rider, just as it keeps your feet from
flying out from under you when you walk, and also allows it to
maintain a standing position even while the rider is away.
The solid-state, silicon gyroscope system is able to record the
change in vibration during a ride and it passes this information on
to an onboard computer, so the Segway can tell when it is rotating
on a particular axis. The Segway is built with five gyroscopic
sensors. It requires only three of these to detect “roll,” or
forward and backward pitch combined with side to side movement. The
remaining sensors are to ensure redundancy and make the vehicle
operate more reliably for a longer period of time. And much like the
human body, two tilt sensors inside the Segway are filled with
electrolyte fluid so the machine always knows its own position on
the ground from the tilt of the fluids.
This and other information on tilt is passed onto the vehicle’s
‘brain,’ where two control circuit boards hold a series of 10
microprocessors, or three times the power of a typical personal
computer. Typically, both circuit boards work together, but if one
goes out the other can carry the entire load in order to notify the
user of the failure and shut down gradually rather than ‘seizing up’
in mid-motion. This incredible use of ‘brain power’ allows the
Segway to make difficult choices and adjustments easily and
automatically, without the rider having to do anything at all except
enjoy! Meanwhile, the controller boards keep busy by checking the
position sensors approximately 100 times per second and the
microprocessors run software that monitors stability information and
adjusts the speed of on-board electric motors, which are powered by
rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NIMH) batteries.
As the rider leans forward, the motors spin the two main wheels in
the same direction to stay upright, and the same goes for backward
motion. When the operator turns the handlebar controls left or
right, the motors spin one wheel faster than the other or in the
opposite direction to rotate the Segway.
This may help one understand why some people refer to the Segway as
“the most advanced vehicle in the world.”
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