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Build Your Own Segway
bugbear writes "Robot hacker Trevor Blackwell explains how to build your own
Segway-style balancing scooter. He says it's not that hard
(but he already knows how to build walking robots)."
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Do the bans on Segways apply to this?
I can't help but notice that it lacks training wheels. Guess GWB will have to wait a bit longer before he can join this 'revolution'...
Security through promiscuity is no better than security through obscurity.
I mean, does it throw you off when the battery dies?
I changed the configuration, and instead of using an electric motor, I made it human powered. I put the wheels front and back instead of sideways... That way I cannot get sued.
Also, I decided to add a sit, because I don't like standing and I have eliminated the giroscopes, they are too expensive.
Hmmmm I think I am going to call my device "the bicycle". It has a nice ring to it.
~~~Please pass the salt, I hate unsalted MD5s
You forgot to think about the children.
KFG
Most of the technology that makes the Segway work is patented. So sure you can likely build yourself one without pissing anybody off, but don't plan to start a business making them for another decade or two.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
The guy that designed the segway also designed the iBot which is basically a wheelchair that can "walk" on 2 or 4 wheels. This includes the easy navigation of stairs.
Forget about copying the segway...
Copy this device! It goes for about 20k... how many people do you think can really afford this thing? This device allows wheelchair-bound people to practically walk again!
Drugs go generic... but I fear this thing will be too pricey for a long time to come.
Sounds like fun to me!
Game Overdrive - Gaming News
Robot hacker Trevor Blackwell explains how to build your own Segway-style balancing scooter. He says it's not that hard (but he already knows how to build walking robots).
In related news, NASA engineers explain how to build your own space shuttle. They say it's not that hard.
(Seriously though, the instructions given on Trevor Blackwell's site for building your home-brewed Segway are not much more complicated than what I did in EE labs at Berkeley.)
I know that hindsight is 20-20 but in light of the recent recall a lot of the opinions here seem pretty silly in retrospect.
Despite being able to build my own, I'm still impressed with the Segway(TM) and with the courage it takes to bring such a product to market. Like with cars, it's pretty easy to put together a motor and wheels and make it go. But building a safe, comfortable vehicle requires a huge amount of R&D, and it's very hard to be certain that such a thing is as safe as it can possibly be.
I'm more impressed with the arrogance of Camen, suggesting that entire cities are going to be redesigned because of his yuppie toy, than I am impressed with his courage. And considering that dangers have already been uncovered with batteries are low, I sincerely question how much R&D was sacrificed in order to get this product to market on time. It seems like testing it under low-battery conditions would be one of the first things you oughta test for a vehicle boasting automatic stabilization features.
And when you're the only company doing it, and when the product is cool enough to make good news fodder, you're guaranteed to get massive negative coverage and lawsuits when there are accidents.
Massive negative coverage, huh? If I hadn't been reading slashdot on Friday I would have never heard of this recall. And as far as the product being "cool enough to make good new fodder", let's not kid ourselves. The reason the media went so ape shit about this is because it's easier to report on new trinkets like this than on the growing national debt, even though the latter will likely have a much larger impact on our lives than the former.
This guy oughta edit his page and remove those comments since they look pretty silly nowdays.
GMD
watch this
The size of the adult bicycle wheel was developed through trial and error over a few decades. What I find interesting is that two largely seperate development trees came to much the same conclusion.
26" in America, 700c in Europe.
It's a pretty good indication that within the parameters of the problem the solution is reasonably close to optimal.
Of course if you change the parameters you change the solution. Folding bikes, for instance, generally go with 24" or 20" wheels since one of the parameters is now compact size when folded.
One of the design parameters of Segway type vehicles is that they take up a fairly small footprint, as close to a pedestrian footprint as they can get. Hence the small wheels.
Of course the smaller wheels carry certain disadvantages, as you note. Higher rolling resistence (but since you're not pedaling this may not matter much to you), less able to climb over obstacles, more likely to fall into potholes and "nibble" in cracks.
Probably the biggest detriment to the small wheels is the inherent lack of stability though. With the rider's platform hanging well below the axle line they'd have stability without the gyroscope. You can buy toys for parakeets made like this. Kind of like Weebles with Wheels. (In fact that would make a good name for a "motorcycle gang" mounted on these).
Before the turn of the century there were actually a number of commercial bicycles sold that were built on this same layout.
They don't work as well as a nice folding bike though. That's why you don't see them anymore but a number of manufacturers will sell you a folding bike.
You "recharge" a folding bike with pizza, which is rather pleasant, and they're much easier to take on the bus with you than a Segway like device when you get tired of pedaling.
I tend to think there will continue to be more bikes than Segways for a good while yet.
KFG
All you'd have to do is connect the wheels to 'spires' coming out of the side of the vehicle, rather then to the center of the vehicle. Sort of like "|\_/|" rather then "|-|" (we'll see if slashdot lets this past the lameness filter..
It would make the thing rather funky looking though, and most of the stability comes from the software, so you don't really need big wheels unless you want to go over big bumps.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
I started from scratch and tried to build a better one, but I couldn't find the fancy gyros and electric motors used on the original. Funny thing though, it came out looking like a bicycle.
Couldn't someone create a cheap knockoff of the Segway by attaching a small shopping cart wheel to the back, and chucking all of the expensive gyros? They wouldn't even violate any Segway patents in the process.
In any event, $5,000 for a scooter is just sillyness (yes, it is just a scooter).
if(!toilet_paper) roll.replace(new roll);
When the walking robot climb on and ride the scooter. Oh the irony of it!
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
Try again, building it is perfectly legal, profiting from it (financially) is not. Remember that the intent of a patent is to protect ones rights for commercial exploitation of a given method or device.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
It's obviously not true. A bicycle is kept from tilting sideways by momentum, but it doesn't flip over because it is touching the ground in front or in back, far away from the center of gravity.
The amount of torque you would need to get the center of gravity on the other side of one of the wheels is huge, since there is a small angle between the center of gravity, the center of the wheels, and the direction you're going.
On the Segway, there is a 90 degree angle between those vectors, and you would need no force to 'unbalance' the segway. The reason the segway stays up is because the software controls the wheels and continually moves the center of gravity so that it stays balanced.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
Simple, as with the Segway, the iBot, is a neat idea, but with little commercial application.
UNLESS.
Unless you can count on the government buying them. That is the key to either one's long term success. Honestly, the Segway is neat, and interesting, but as an alternative transportation method it sucks.
It does work well for getting approved under all sorts of government programs, let alone it could eventually get forced upon insurance companies via the ADA.
On topic, what makes this guy's idea better is that it gives us, the tax payers, a cheaper way out should the need arise. If the iBot or Segway gain large acceptance on the government front;(hauling around all those lard asses - it was so bizarre to see the Atlanta demonstrations - all were over weight!); then a cheaper alternative could save us money.
Real innovation in transportation is creating something people will use, not something that looks neat.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Er, probably. (Scroll down a bit.)
RoboteQ (the manufacturer of one of the parts) also produces parts for use in "battlebots". So, who wants to take first crack at the combination segway/battlebot?
Besides, having a flamethrower on your segway would really help convince people to get out of your way.
Dependable, Reliable Furnishings
Try again, building it is perfectly legal, profiting from it (financially) is not. Remember that the intent of a patent is to protect ones rights for commercial exploitation of a given method or device.
Wrong. The only power granted by a patent is the power to prevent others from practicing the art described by the patent. There is no distinction between personal or commercial practice, it is just much harder to make a case for damages against a private practitioner. It's copyrights that explicitly prohibit reproduction for commercial use, though few folks here know the difference between patents and copyrights anyway.
Kamen never said cities would be designed around the Segway, that was Jeff Bezos, of Amazon.
Please get your facts straight.
You got to love this. Here, DaHat tells me that Bezos made that claim. In the comment directly above, autopr0n claims it was Steve Jobs. Tell you what, guys, since this archived article from the New York Times credits that statement to Kamen, I'm gonna go with them. DaHat, since you are the one who is making a big stink about getting "facts straight", how about if you do a little looking around on behalf of all three of us and figure out what the answer is?
Actually, I really don't give a flying fuck whether those words came out of Kamen's mouth or not. Honestly, who really cares? Directly or indirectly, Kaman is responsible for the great hype surrounding this toy. You guys took one little thing out of my post and tried to use it to discredit everything else I said.
GMD
watch this
No, it means that you and I through our taxes will pay for them (if you pay US taxes anyway...) Seriously, if people really thought about every government expenditure as spending their own money, we would be much better off.
In mean, FFS why put the wheels side by side and then include $4,300 worth of electronics to make it balance when you can put the wheels inline, save that cash and a load of weight but otherwise have identical performance *and* better brakes?
It's being stupid for stupid's sake.
Google found this for me in 0.1 seconds:
http://www.zapworld.com/xtreme.htm
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
At first, I just stood directly on the aluminum plate. When I went through some wet grass and then I tipped the handle fairly far forward to accelerate, I nearly slid off and had it run over my heels. So you definitely need some grippy coating. Masking tape works OK, but I'm looking for some nice adhesive-backed rubber.
Skateboard grip tape would be good for this.
Chip H.
Does he include a PDF of the forms to fill out when it needs to be recalled?
he mentions the thought of moving the control column to the side. why not have one on each side? probably a more comfortable position, allows your arms to help more in handling shock to the spine from bumps, and it definitely gives you more freedom to compensate for any sudden stoppage which might throw you forward.
i really don't understand this whole fascination with the segway, i can't think of any other product that generated as much buzz for no otherwise good reason as this.
Just tell me, in what way is a segway better than a Honda Ruckus for example? I, myself, if given a choice between a segway and a honda ruckus, i would definintely take the ruckus. First of all, it's well established technology, it'll fill up anywhere, and it'll take you a long way on a tank, and you can fix it almost wherever you want. It's not particularly noisy, not the modern machines. It's extremely reliable, i'd totally be willing to take one to commute to work and make it on time, around town and do some shopping, on a highway, up a mountain and into the wood, along a beach strip, or heck, i can even go on an around-the-world forest-gump-style trip on one, i swear, it's that reliable. It's also fast enough, and flexible, it'll negotiate almost any reasonable terrain. It's also seems more comfortable, you actually SIT DOWN on it rather than commute standing up. As for the segway, it's damn slow, i just find it bizarre that some people say they commute to work on one, and also for some reason i feel it'd emarrass me a lot to be seen on a segway. I also find the Ruckus cooler in a no-nonsense way.
The segway is just damn not practical as a commuting machine. I am yet to understand why postal workers or other public workers for examples were purchased segways rather than a honda ruckus which costs less than third the price. I realize that some people might argue that it's a machine that can be used inside buildings, but, i just think that's way too silly. Just walk dude, and if you have a problem with comfort get a pair of Birkenstocks. If you have a problem with walking then maybe you'll also likely to have a problem with standing up for the length of your journey. Can anyone give me a reason that makes sense why segways, at their current price, make any sense?
I am sure it must be a fad.
Maybe what we really need to do is stop pining for innovative gadgets...they generally suck anyway.
"You know why you do not see me styling wit my homies? Because I have no homies!!" -Mojo Jojo
"I'd rather buy 2 of his scooters than give my money to Dean Kamen."
Why? Why would you hate Deam Kamen?
He has invented dozens of revolutionary biomedical devices that have improved the lives of many people. (dialysis machines, wheelchairs, etc). Many design elements from the Segway, esp the redundent backup systems, come from his experience in biomedical devices.
Meanwhile, he has used much of the money made through this to promote engineering and technology to high school students, through the FIRST robotics competition(http://www.usfirst.org/)
This competition has raised the awareness of robotics and engineering to thousands of students, and probably a good reason why i'm studying engineering physics (with EE major) right now.
I don't see why a tech site like slashdot is so against him, when he has done so much in promoting technology to the masses.
Walking [and bike riding] is not about 100% control, but learning to react to being out-of-control. A baby takes so long to learn to walk because they have to learn to fall a little. Riding a bike involves learning not just to pedal, but to "sway" back and forth with each motion..and the terrain.
Someone should build a ot with pairs of linear motors so that it can develop opposing "waves" of motion, against, and free power.
No - it is not legal to build it. But there is no right of punitive damages in patent law. You can only sue for the profits you claim you have lost from the sales that the infringer has lost you. So if this guy makes one scooter for his own use, the only loss to Segway is the net profits on the sale of the one of their products that he might have bought, but didn't. Say $500. And no lawyer is going to uncap his pen for that little money. If he were to start to sell them - which he won't - they would almost certainly sue. "De minimis non curat lex" - The law does not care about trifles. As it is, the tone of his article is, I would say, generally good PR for Segway.
Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.