Riding bicycles have become more and more popular due to the pandemic. It provided commuters with a cheaper way to get around without relying on public transport or shelling money out for a private car. However, not everyone knows how to ride a bike, and it takes time and practice to learn. But what if you don’t need to learn how to ride a bike to get around on one?
Chinese engineer Zhi Hui Jun makes the whole learning process easier by creating a smart, self-balancing electric bike. The vlogger from Beijing designed a complex automatic control system for the bike so it can run and balance itself without being manned. As revealed by CAD modeling, the bike sports electric motors and flywheels under the seat, a servo-powered system turning the front wheels, and a battery pack.
How it works is there’s a perpendicularly-mounted heavy metal wheel that keeps the bike standing up. It quicky changes the direction of its spin, creating angular momentum to counter falling.
The mechanism is complemented by sensors including an RGB depth camera, accelerometer, gyroscope, and LiDAR to detect the surrounding environment.