Two-Wheeled Robotic Mobility Platform

This paper presents the results on the modelling and control of a two wheeled robotic mobility platform that achieves automatic self balance detecting the weight shift of the operator. This vehicle is principally a self balancing machine whose wheels share a common axis. Self balance is achieved by accelerating the body enabling pseudo forces to act upon it thus bringing the body to its mean position. We have employed Newton‟s laws of motion to determine the acceleration required to achieve self balance. This condition of achieving self balance has been put to use by us to achieve locomotion. For oscillation-free motion a new concept called cut-off angle has also been introduced. This machine has numerous advantages which make it an asset considering the problems faced by present day commuters especially on crowded Indian roads where pollution, fuel crisis and traffic congestion are the major hitches. Being a battery operated vehicle there is zero emission. Moreover, as both wheels share a common axis, the turning radius can be easily minimised to zero. Apart from this a new method to calculate the net moment of inertia of vehicles has also been discussed in this paper