Inverted Pendulum Vehicle Steering via Seat Weight Shift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric locomotion devices for individuals with walking problems or paraplegics require users to stand or use their legs to steer, making them unsuitable for effective transportation, as they do not allow users to maintain a standing height or easily control the vehicle with minimal leg movement.
Innovation Solution
A dynamically stabilized vehicle with two wheels, a pivot for steering, and an adjustable ergonomic seat that allows users to control steering through slight lateral weight displacement, enabling users to maintain a standing height and adjust the vehicle's height and sensitivity to their needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the vehicle uses traditional steering mechanisms requiring leg movement, then the vehicle can be controlled, but users with lower limb disabilities cannot effectively operate it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical steering mechanisms that require leg movement with a weight-based control system. The seat is designed to tilt laterally in response to user weight distribution changes, which automatically steers the vehicle through the pivot mechanism, eliminating the need for leg-based steering input from users with lower limb disabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's steering system automatically responds to user weight displacement without requiring active steering input. The lateral tilting of the seat caused by weight distribution changes automatically engages the pivot to steer the vehicle, making the system self-steering and adaptable to users with limited mobility
2Ease of operation
If the seat is fixed at a low position for users with disabilities, then accessibility is improved, but users cannot maintain standing height
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is designed with dynamic positioning capabilities, allowing it to adjust its height and tilt angle based on user needs. The seat can tilt laterally to enable steering control while maintaining adjustable height to preserve standing height, accommodating both accessibility requirements and ergonomic needs through dynamic adjustment rather than a fixed position
3Ease of manufacture
If the vehicle structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then production cost is reduced, but adaptability to different user dimensions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle employs a universal pivot mechanism that serves multiple functions: it enables steering control, accommodates different user heights, and adapts to various user dimensions. This single pivot system replaces the need for multiple complex adjustment mechanisms, maintaining structural simplicity while providing broad adaptability across different user profiles through geometric relationships and weight-based control
Data Source
AI summary
An electric locomotion apparatus including a dynamically stabilized vehicle including two wheels, the vehicle including a pivot arranged along a longitudinal axis and rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The pivot is configured to transfer a steering control to the wheels. A seat is positioned on the vehicle, wherein the seat is configured to accommodate a user affected by motor disability of the lower limbs, the seat being tiltable sideways by a lateral shift of the user's weight. The locomotion apparatus further includes one or more transmission device arranged between the seat and the pivot, the transmission device configured to transfer a tilting movement of the seat to the pivot. A first rod and a second rod can be centrally pivoted together, the second rod pivotally fixed to the vehicle, and the seat being associated with a second end of the first rod.