Active Self Balancing Bicycle
Bicycles are cost effective, fuel efficient, easily maneuverable vehicle. However, bikers are more vulnerable to road accidents. Today, a large percentage of the world population suffers from balance disorders that cause vertigo and dizziness or some physical disability that prevents them from ridin
2025-06-28 16:30:08 - Adil Khan
Active Self Balancing Bicycle
Project Area of Specialization Mechatronics EngineeringProject SummaryBicycles are cost effective, fuel efficient, easily maneuverable vehicle. However, bikers are more vulnerable to road accidents. Today, a large percentage of the world population suffers from balance disorders that cause vertigo and dizziness or some physical disability that prevents them from riding a bicycle or a motorbike. Our aim is to design a prototype of active self-balancing bicycle. It would be able to balance itself and can be stabilized against any imbalance plus in zero velocity as well. This vehicle is designed to provide the safety that two-wheeler vehicle does not have. Also, law enforcement agencies, security officers, paramedics and couriers would appreciate being able to use both hands for something other than steering. We are going to use a steering control method and a sensitive encoder motor with hub motors at the chassis to compensate the tilt of the vehicle to get it stabilized. Although it is a steering after all but it is controlled, it would not matter if left unchecked. A controller to measure the tilt angle and the data is sent to the robust feedback controllers to minimize the sensitivity of oscillations. The input data will be used to send a control signal to the controller accordingly. Using the signals, the bicycle is balanced by controlling the steering motor from the controller which determines the direction of tilt. This vehicle is designed to provide the safety that a simple bicycle does not have. Our aim is to design a safe, cost effective and fuel-efficient vehicle. Advancements in this project could lead to extensive use in the military operations.
Project ObjectivesThe aim of this project is to ensure the safety of rider by designing an active self-balancing bicycle with the aid of feedback control system. The bicycle will be able to balance itself when any sort of instability occurs by maintaining its center of gravity above the frame of the vehicle. The most appropriate method of achieving this objective is by using steering control to oppose tilt on either side, beyond an acceptable angle.
Project Implementation MethodMethodology of Implementation
The aspects that are going to be covered are mechanical implementation, electrical implementation, control system.
Mechanical Design
A simple bicycle is used for the mechanical design implementation of the idea. Hub motor, also called “Wheel Motor”, “Wheel Hub Motor”, or “In Wheel Motor”, is used. This is an electric motor incorporated with the hub of a wheel that drives the wheel directly. Hub motor electromagnetic fields are supplied to the stationary windings of the motor. The outer part of the motor follows, or tries to follow, those fields, turning the attached wheel. In a brushed motor, energy is transferred by brushes contacting the rotating shaft of the motor. Energy is transferred in a brushless motor electronically, eliminating physical contact between stationary and moving parts.
Electric motors have their greatest torque at startup, making them ideal for vehicles as they need the most torque at startup too. Their greatest torque occurs as the rotor first begins to turn, which is why electric motors do not require a transmission.
One hub motor has been used in this vehicle so that this motor can help to stabilize the force during tilt. Hub motor controller is needed to connect the hub motor with batteries through wires.
The Power Steering Assist Motor is a part of bicycle’s electric power steering system. This system uses an electric motor instead of a hydraulic pump. The assist motor is controlled by the ECU which determines the assistive torque to be exerted on the wheels. In this situation an encoder motor with highly sensitive of degree of angle is being used. In order to stabilize the bicycle, the tilt angle shall be in correspondence to the encoder motor in order to produce a specific output to stabilize the vehicle.
Electrical Design
With the motor driver circuit, the motors were operated, and it was able to pull the chassis towards right when it was tilted left and pull the chassis to left when it was tilted right. Here a 12-volt DC battery is used to control the steering motor circuit and a high current is passed through the hub motor as it is a high-power rated motor to accelerate the vehicle. The whole process is controlled by the robust feedback controllers.
Control Design
Initially the chassis was controlled through manual switching. Then this control system was made automated by using the Arduino and robust feedback controllers. The input is taken from the tilt angle and using the controller the output is generated and a signal is sent to the steering motor to take the appropriate action in the form of moving the steering to a certain degree in order to stabilize the system. The robust feedback controllers are used to minimize the oscillation produced by reaction forces and produce a smooth output.
Benefits of the ProjectFollowing are the benefits of this project:
- Self Balancing
- Autonomous and Manual Drive
- Old, children and disables
- Fall safety
- Learning Ease
- Regular Traveler in a 50km radius
- Ease of Travel
- Compact Design
- Economic
- Low Maintenance
- Environment Friendly
- Energy Efficient
- Healthy System
Steering control is where a controller controls the amount of torque applied to the steering handlebar. MPU6050 is used to meausre the tilt of the bicycle which is fed to the arduino then to encoder motor which steers the cycle for balancing.
Advantages of this system are low mass and low energy consumption, while its disadvantages are it requires ground reaction forces and it cannot withstand large tilt angle disturbance. The energy consumption of steering control is low, but it cannot balance the bicycle at low forward velocity
Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry TransportationOther IndustriesCore Technology RoboticsOther Technologies Artificial Intelligence(AI), Clean TechSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate ActionRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 72500 | |||
| Bicycle | Equipment | 1 | 30000 | 30000 |
| DC Motor | Equipment | 1 | 14000 | 14000 |
| MPU6050 | Equipment | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Arduino | Equipment | 1 | 5500 | 5500 |
| DC Chopper | Equipment | 2 | 700 | 1400 |
| Motor Driver | Equipment | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| 3D Printing | Equipment | 2 | 3000 | 6000 |
| Gears | Equipment | 2 | 1000 | 2000 |
| Misc. Electronics | Equipment | 10 | 800 | 8000 |
| Printing | Miscellaneous | 10 | 400 | 4000 |
| Stationary | Miscellaneous | 10 | 100 | 1000 |