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| The 1910 Edison-Puton Monowheel on show at Cholmondeley has the frame, rider and a 150 cc De Dion-Bouton engine enclosed by the wheel. |
THE annual Cholmondeley Pageant of Power motorsport event in the UK
last week displayed a 1910 Edison-Puton Monowheel, on loan from the Auto &
Technik Museum at Sinsheim, Germany.
Gizmag reports that at least 40 major monowheel
projects have been undertaken between 1867 and now, “but without intelligent
balancing, the monowheel is likely to remain a circus act”.
Seems the students at Australia’s University of Adelaide may now
have put the circus act within reach of even the most unbalanced.
While it looks like a monowheel, it has two axially aligned wheels
instead of one, and the seat is located between them. Hence its name, the
Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping — or Edward to its friends.
Gizmag reports that the mechanical engineering
students have been working on the project since 2009, and it now seems to be
close to completion. The designers have achieved quite a high level of
controllability and stability.
Due to “in-built lateral stability and slosh control”, Edward
allows riders to move in any direction, while their seat stays in a fixed
position.
The control system calculates and sets the best level of the seat
after each movement even at its maximum speed 40 km/h.
While regular upright riding is entirely possible, users can also
ride the vehicle upside down, should they wish.
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| The Electric Diwheel With Active Rotation Damping (Edward) built by students at the University of Adelaide |
Controlling an inverted ride is made possible through the use of a
combined swing-up and inversion controller, the Edward team explains.
The vehicle is driven via a joystick, and there’s also a
touchscreen-based control panel.
The rider’s safety is achieved through a five-point racing harness,
that keeps him or her from falling out.
This one could make it into the future to deliver an ecofriendly,
silent and safe means of transportation.
