Single-Wheel Vehicle Head Positioning for Balance and Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy vehicles lack mechanisms for precisely positioning and guiding appendages on a self-propelled platform, limiting their ability to yaw, pitch, and roll for effective steering and emotional expression.
Innovation Solution
A toy vehicle platform with a single wheel, a frame, and a movable head unit, equipped with three motors for driving, steering, and emotive movements, along with a control system using a nine-axis IMU and PID control to maintain balance and enable yaw, pitch, and roll movements, and a pair of rims to limit lean.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single wheel vehicle platform is used, then the vehicle structure is simplified, but the ability to maintain balance and enable precise positioning of appendages is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an inverted pendulum mechanism where the head unit and appendages act as counterweights to the single wheel platform. By actively controlling the position and orientation of the head unit through multiple motors, the system maintains the center of gravity above the wheel contact point, achieving dynamic balance on the simplified single-wheel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors the vehicle's orientation and position using sensors and adjusts the motor outputs accordingly to maintain balance and achieve desired appendage positioning. This closed-loop feedback control enables the single wheel platform to stabilize and position its appendages precisely despite the inherent instability of the simplified structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple motors are added for head unit movement, then the emotive and steering capabilities are enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The head unit is equipped with multiple motors that enable it to perform multiple functions: steering the vehicle by tilting, emotive movements for expression, and positioning for interaction. This multi-functional design allows a single component (the head unit) to handle diverse tasks, enhancing adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle control system is divided into independent motor modules, each responsible for specific movements (steering, emotive actions, positioning). This segmentation allows for modular design and control, where each motor can be independently controlled and optimized, making the complex multi-motor system more manageable and maintainable.
3Measurement precision
If the head unit is made movable for steering, then the steering precision is improved, but the device complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical steering linkages with a motorized head unit that tilts to steer the vehicle. This substitution allows for more precise and controllable steering through electronic motor control compared to mechanical linkages, while the modular motor design keeps the positioning mechanism relatively simple and manageable.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The vehicle achieves self-balancing and emotive capabilities, allowing for precise steering and emotional communication, enhancing play value with interactive features like following a controller ball and responding to user input.
Implementation Method 1
a first motor connected to the single wheel for driving the wheel forward and rearward
Implementation Method 2
a second motor to cause the head unit to roll
Implementation Method 3
a third motor to cause the head unit to pitch and yaw
Implementation Method 4
a control system using a nine-axis IMU and PID control to maintain balance
Implementation Method 5
a control system using a nine-axis IMU and PID control to maintain balance
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle platform with positioning and guiding mechanisms and having a single wheel. A frame extends from the vehicle with a receptacle connected to the frame, and a motor drives the vehicle forward and rearward. A head appendage is mounted to the receptacle to yaw left and right, pitch up and down, and roll from side to side to guide the vehicle. Another motor provides for positioning the appendage to roll, with an additional motor for positioning the head to pitch and yaw. A pair of left and right rims is disposed adjacent to the wheel for limiting lean of the vehicle platform, and a control system is incorporated.