Coolwater
04-11-2009, 03:45 AM
A Tai Chi Scooter...
Henry Zhang, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, along with four students, spent several months building a hands-free, two-wheeled, self-balancing scooter based on the principles of Tai Chi, a form of Chinese martial arts that centers on focusing the mind and staying aware of your center of balance.
The scooter contains a platform to stand on, and the on-off, and turning functions are initiated by the rider via a remote control. Zhang said that what makes their machine unique is that there is no handlebar for driving or steering. Instead, these actions are controlled by the rider shifting his or her Tai Chi poses. The scooter is driven forward and backward through the rider's self-balancing, and its turning is controlled by optical encoder signal feedback that monitors the angular displacement of the remotely triggered DC motor with gear reduction.
This was in the Purdue faculty daily e-news bulletin, but you can find the complete article just by googling "tai chi scooter." I'm dying to try the thing, and I think I'm going to e-mail Dr. Zhang and ask him. The worst he can say is NO, right?
I'll probably break my neck. :eek:
Henry Zhang, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, along with four students, spent several months building a hands-free, two-wheeled, self-balancing scooter based on the principles of Tai Chi, a form of Chinese martial arts that centers on focusing the mind and staying aware of your center of balance.
The scooter contains a platform to stand on, and the on-off, and turning functions are initiated by the rider via a remote control. Zhang said that what makes their machine unique is that there is no handlebar for driving or steering. Instead, these actions are controlled by the rider shifting his or her Tai Chi poses. The scooter is driven forward and backward through the rider's self-balancing, and its turning is controlled by optical encoder signal feedback that monitors the angular displacement of the remotely triggered DC motor with gear reduction.
This was in the Purdue faculty daily e-news bulletin, but you can find the complete article just by googling "tai chi scooter." I'm dying to try the thing, and I think I'm going to e-mail Dr. Zhang and ask him. The worst he can say is NO, right?
I'll probably break my neck. :eek: