If $180,000USD is a bit rich for you, you can build the little brother for about $20,000. I know these guys well. I saw the 18SPW debut in 1999. Hovercrafts are fun, I have three.
I'd like to see those unicycles stop on a dime before I bought one. And it might be interesting to see a run down a steep hill.
On the manufacturers website there is this warning:
WARNING.
Do not attempt to travel down long steep inclines on a 100% fully charged battery. Failure to comply may result in damage to the battery or to the circuit board due to the regenerative braking.
It implies that when the battery is fully charged that overcharging the battery or danage to the electronics may occur but that steep inclines may be ok when not fully charged?
Here's a video of Barry Palmer's Explorer SEV (Surface Effect Vehicle) on a trip from Washington to Alaska. I went for a ride in one of his SEVs a few years ago from his house on the Skykomish river. They are not for racing but since they ride high (something like 11" of clearance) they are good for much rougher environments. They get good mileage too.
Seems to me that if you happen to be near a cliff edge on a Segway type machine the only way for it to not fall over the cliff is to drive forwards to try and tip you backwards, but then ooops...
Here's a video of Barry Palmer's Explorer SEV (Surface Effect Vehicle) on a trip from Washington to Alaska. I went for a ride in one of his SEVs a few years ago from his house on the Skykomish river. They are not for racing but since they ride high (something like 11" of clearance) they are good for much rougher environments. They get good mileage too.
Nice to know that you know Barry. Is was there for the sendoff to Alaska with Barry, Brian and John. Small world. That's when I lived in Seattle for a year.
Brain built that craft with one claw arm. He lost part of his arm in a motorcycle accident.
The Segway was such a ill thought out machine it's pathetic. Too slow and obnoxious to use the bike lanes or side walks and too slow to use the highways. It was neither fish nor fowl. It also cost as much as a used car, in time it was consigned to the dust bin of bad ideas.
It's last owner over toppling over cliff whilst riding it summed up it's fate in a Monty Pythonish manner.
The reason you can't ride the unicycle down steep hills with a fully charged battery is that they're using the motor as a generator to brake the machine(regenrative braking). The current created needs to go somewhere, and if it can't be pushed into the battery, where then?
There's nowhere on the machine it's safe to release it as heat...
Attachment not found.
It just so happens I have one and I am VERY happy with it .
Ill be Really blunt . ban me if you wish .
\I am legally disabled from many years ago .. If I so choose I can live on the public dole for life . and not work a day in my life ..
however I refuse to be a sponge and not do what I can to contribute to the world .!
so thanks to My New "toy " as some may call it I can this Year and a half finish up my BSEE
Get a paying Job and contribute to taxis and live a normal life ... like all of you !
how useless a Segway is to some one who cant drive ???
would you like to be my Driver ???
or pay as a society for my Power wheelechair ???
unlike a bike this can go .1/2 MPH and not fall over !
Legality here in Oregon I can go on sidewalks . bike paths lanes and roads up to 35 MPH.
hardly useless considering it is the most permissible non Licensed device I can ever own/drive ...
I take my mobility Freedom VERY personally .
I dare any one sell there car and use busses for a month with 2 bad knees ..
The Segway was such a ill thought out machine it's pathetic. Too slow and obnoxious to use the bike lanes or side walks and too slow to use the highways. It was neither fish nor fowl. It also cost as much as a used car, in time it was consigned to the dust bin of bad ideas.
It's last owner over toppling over cliff whilst riding it summed up it's fate in a Monty Pythonish manner.
Seems to me that if you happen to be near a cliff edge on a Segway type machine the only way for it to not fall over the cliff is to drive forwards to try and tip you backwards, but then ooops...
I believe he was traveling parallel to the "cliff" which was really just an embankment. His accident was driver error, not due to a design flaw in the Segway. The anti Segway people love to use it as example though.
If you were traveling towards the edge of the cliff - all vehicles have a required stopping distance. If you don't allow room to stop, then you go over. If you were standing still right on the very edge then it is plausible that in the course of the Segway balancing the wheel would move a couple inches forward which would then put it over the edge. In that case you have been extremely reckless in operation but you can still simply step off the Segway and save yourself.
Exactly ..
bikes flip side to side to side .. Segs Fwd and back . Pick your poison.
If I need to bail I rather be on my Seg then a bike ...Kinda hard to step off a bike
On the manufacturers website there is this warning:
WARNING.
Do not attempt to travel down long steep inclines on a 100% fully charged battery. Failure to comply may result in damage to the battery or to the circuit board due to the regenerative braking.
It implies that when the battery is fully charged that overcharging the battery or danage to the electronics may occur but that steep inclines may be ok when not fully charged?
So it seems that they have yet to figure out that braking requires additional circuitry to dump the generated electricity OR another sort of brake system (magnetic and/or electro/mechanical braking).
As I suspected, they have yet to fully figure out how to stop the thing in all situations. Unicycles have never done well on slopes of any sort.
It is easy to build new gadgets these days, but safe new gadgets is a different story.
On the manufacturers website there is this warning:
WARNING.
Do not attempt to travel down long steep inclines on a 100% fully charged battery. Failure to comply may result in damage to the battery or to the circuit board due to the regenerative braking.
It implies that when the battery is fully charged that overcharging the battery or danage to the electronics may occur but that steep inclines may be ok when not fully charged?
Sounds plausible - without a largish ventilated power resistor to dump heat into and the only braking being regenerative, then there's a risk of overcharging. Clearly going over a hill and down the other side should be OK. That hub motor looks like one of Golden Motors 1000W ones!
Yes indeed, it looks like a Golden Motor hub, but that makes adding any other electro/mechanical braking more of a problem. Where do you attach such additions?
Watching other videos of the unicycle you slow down by leaning back, so presuming that when going downhill the natural thing would be to lean back and so slow down, except you can't go downhill when fully charged.
Perhaps the extra energy from the regen braking could power lights(stop light?) to stop heating problems?
It's a balance between using the energy to recharge the battery for longer range and trying to stop heating issues I suppose?
So you either lean back until you fall over backward or until an electro/mechanical brake locks up and you go face forward into the dirt. How do you reliably know you are fully charged? Lithium battery units have a very flat curve with a sudden upturn at the end of their charge. Better to have high watt resistors dump the power.
I used to own a real unicycle and the fact that your legs are the brakes does become an issue. It limits your speed, it limits the distances you travel, and it limits where you are willing to go. The nicest thing about it is that you can keep your hands in your pockets in freezing weather.
All the devices in this thread are more limited than what we now enjoy as transport. The all-terrain bicycle is very adequate, with brakes, and can cover great distances. In sum, many things are technologically possible, but not ergonomic.
I don't have a downer on Segways, I can see a lot of uses for them. You seem to be able to carry a lot of luggage on that machine of yours, what's the capacity, wieght/volume?
I know some one who also has knee problems who's local shops are close but annoyingly far away when you are in pain. A Segway would be perfect in that case as the streets around have wide pedestrian pavements and there are cycleways everywhere that are not very busy. Only issue is that it's Heksinki and there can be a lot of snow in the winter.
From what I remember its near #300 but its speed range is at #200...
Vol is 2 Tool boxes .... I was not gona pay for some fancy #600 bags LOL.
Be aware some part of the world don't look to kindly to them .... I know the UK is stuck in the 80s with laws ....
the EU as a whole does not really take to them . NL bans them for the most part .
I look at it this way ... its a nice Cross between a Bike and a motor bike ... same storage and range with no pedeling . Yet you DO have to work ti drive one ! no joke
If you are going any thing over 2 MPH leaning in to curves is needed .. Its kinda like skiing
all the busses and the MAX and WES rail alow them on board as carry on ! '
I can go 30 Miiles away From wilsonville to portland and shop at the Ikea at the airport as I can just use both my ride and pub transit ..
besides hauling large Items Like PC cases and Lets say a New desk this Little thing makes a VERY good grocery getter I can fit 2 gal of Mile and 2 Bags of Cerial .
Or any 3 days worth of food Ect
after allmost a month I am still smacking my head on the wall;, Why I did not get one Years ago .
A Side note . It makes a VERY handy Ice Breaker .. I have met so many cool people in town after I am stooped to chat for a few min .
A small backgound on Where I live in Wilsonville..
I am with in 300 Feet of a large ACE and a NAPA .. and further down the road is the Only Frys in oregon .. 700 Feet away .
They host Xerox/ FLIR / Mentor Graphics / Rockwell / all 4 are with in 200 FEET ! of my school here and that school is 2 Miles up the road .
I moved here for the interships and a better town to Live in ..
5 more Miles and I have a target a costco a office depo and a Hobby Town USA
Wilsonville is one of the Highest ranked places to live in Oregon Tons of community involvement ..
heck the Police here are happy! .
People here are way more happy then In Iowa or Cali .
Only down side.. It does rain . More often then not
skylight
Posts: 1,915
Comments
The ran it on VERY calm water.
http://www.firebox.com/product/5468/SBU-V3-Self-Balancing-Unicycle?video_id=3679&tab1=0&itc=376&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WTFLAUNCH_475&src_t=nwt&src_id=475via=nlmain#yourvideos
And for the ridiculously rich
http://www.firebox.com/product/4865/Marchi-Mobile-eleMMent-RV
In fact if money is no object take your pick from these
http://www.firebox.com/wtf?via=catbar2
If $180,000USD is a bit rich for you, you can build the little brother for about $20,000. I know these guys well. I saw the 18SPW debut in 1999. Hovercrafts are fun, I have three.
I've been really, really good this year...........
How true. And you have better range. :0
WARNING.
Do not attempt to travel down long steep inclines on a 100% fully charged battery. Failure to comply may result in damage to the battery or to the circuit board due to the regenerative braking.
It implies that when the battery is fully charged that overcharging the battery or danage to the electronics may occur but that steep inclines may be ok when not fully charged?
http://www.hovercruiser.org.uk/sev/hovercraft-trips/north-to-alaska
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39377851/ns/world_news-europe/t/segway-company-owner-rides-scooter-cliff-dies/#.UFoLfK7YI1w
Seems to me that if you happen to be near a cliff edge on a Segway type machine the only way for it to not fall over the cliff is to drive forwards to try and tip you backwards, but then ooops...
Nice to know that you know Barry. Is was there for the sendoff to Alaska with Barry, Brian and John. Small world. That's when I lived in Seattle for a year.
Brain built that craft with one claw arm. He lost part of his arm in a motorcycle accident.
Jim
It's last owner over toppling over cliff whilst riding it summed up it's fate in a Monty Pythonish manner.
There's nowhere on the machine it's safe to release it as heat...
It just so happens I have one and I am VERY happy with it .
Ill be Really blunt . ban me if you wish .
\I am legally disabled from many years ago .. If I so choose I can live on the public dole for life . and not work a day in my life ..
however I refuse to be a sponge and not do what I can to contribute to the world .!
so thanks to My New "toy " as some may call it I can this Year and a half finish up my BSEE
Get a paying Job and contribute to taxis and live a normal life ... like all of you !
how useless a Segway is to some one who cant drive ???
would you like to be my Driver ???
or pay as a society for my Power wheelechair ???
unlike a bike this can go .1/2 MPH and not fall over !
Legality here in Oregon I can go on sidewalks . bike paths lanes and roads up to 35 MPH.
hardly useless considering it is the most permissible non Licensed device I can ever own/drive ...
I take my mobility Freedom VERY personally .
I dare any one sell there car and use busses for a month with 2 bad knees ..
Peter .
Wow, strong opinion. Ever ride one?
I believe he was traveling parallel to the "cliff" which was really just an embankment. His accident was driver error, not due to a design flaw in the Segway. The anti Segway people love to use it as example though.
If you were traveling towards the edge of the cliff - all vehicles have a required stopping distance. If you don't allow room to stop, then you go over. If you were standing still right on the very edge then it is plausible that in the course of the Segway balancing the wheel would move a couple inches forward which would then put it over the edge. In that case you have been extremely reckless in operation but you can still simply step off the Segway and save yourself.
I can just see erco now, hopping over traffic on the 5.
-Phil
Um, don't you need takeoff room for a gyro? The 5 barely moves at times
@ Phil Congrats for 15,000 posts!
Jim
Thanks,
-Phil
Exactly ..
bikes flip side to side to side .. Segs Fwd and back . Pick your poison.
If I need to bail I rather be on my Seg then a bike ...Kinda hard to step off a bike
So it seems that they have yet to figure out that braking requires additional circuitry to dump the generated electricity OR another sort of brake system (magnetic and/or electro/mechanical braking).
As I suspected, they have yet to fully figure out how to stop the thing in all situations. Unicycles have never done well on slopes of any sort.
It is easy to build new gadgets these days, but safe new gadgets is a different story.
Sounds plausible - without a largish ventilated power resistor to dump heat into and the only braking being regenerative, then there's a risk of overcharging. Clearly going over a hill and down the other side should be OK. That hub motor looks like one of Golden Motors 1000W ones!
Perhaps the extra energy from the regen braking could power lights(stop light?) to stop heating problems?
It's a balance between using the energy to recharge the battery for longer range and trying to stop heating issues I suppose?
anyway I so want one
I used to own a real unicycle and the fact that your legs are the brakes does become an issue. It limits your speed, it limits the distances you travel, and it limits where you are willing to go. The nicest thing about it is that you can keep your hands in your pockets in freezing weather.
All the devices in this thread are more limited than what we now enjoy as transport. The all-terrain bicycle is very adequate, with brakes, and can cover great distances. In sum, many things are technologically possible, but not ergonomic.
I don't have a downer on Segways, I can see a lot of uses for them. You seem to be able to carry a lot of luggage on that machine of yours, what's the capacity, wieght/volume?
I know some one who also has knee problems who's local shops are close but annoyingly far away when you are in pain. A Segway would be perfect in that case as the streets around have wide pedestrian pavements and there are cycleways everywhere that are not very busy. Only issue is that it's Heksinki and there can be a lot of snow in the winter.
Good luck with your studies and all.
From what I remember its near #300 but its speed range is at #200...
Vol is 2 Tool boxes .... I was not gona pay for some fancy #600 bags LOL.
Be aware some part of the world don't look to kindly to them .... I know the UK is stuck in the 80s with laws ....
the EU as a whole does not really take to them . NL bans them for the most part .
I look at it this way ... its a nice Cross between a Bike and a motor bike ... same storage and range with no pedeling . Yet you DO have to work ti drive one ! no joke
If you are going any thing over 2 MPH leaning in to curves is needed .. Its kinda like skiing
http://peterthethinker.com/tmp/NIMBUS2.mp4
all the busses and the MAX and WES rail alow them on board as carry on ! '
I can go 30 Miiles away From wilsonville to portland and shop at the Ikea at the airport as I can just use both my ride and pub transit ..
besides hauling large Items Like PC cases and Lets say a New desk this Little thing makes a VERY good grocery getter I can fit 2 gal of Mile and 2 Bags of Cerial .
Or any 3 days worth of food Ect
after allmost a month I am still smacking my head on the wall;, Why I did not get one Years ago .
A Side note . It makes a VERY handy Ice Breaker .. I have met so many cool people in town after I am stooped to chat for a few min .
A small backgound on Where I live in Wilsonville..
I am with in 300 Feet of a large ACE and a NAPA .. and further down the road is the Only Frys in oregon .. 700 Feet away .
They host Xerox/ FLIR / Mentor Graphics / Rockwell / all 4 are with in 200 FEET ! of my school here and that school is 2 Miles up the road .
I moved here for the interships and a better town to Live in ..
5 more Miles and I have a target a costco a office depo and a Hobby Town USA
Wilsonville is one of the Highest ranked places to live in Oregon Tons of community involvement ..
heck the Police here are happy! .
People here are way more happy then In Iowa or Cali .
Only down side.. It does rain . More often then not