Keep your balance! Educational programme on the choice of self-balancing transport

There is no single generally accepted name for self-balancing vehicles that are built on the basis of an electric motor and gyro sensors. Although often gyroboards and monowheels are called gyroscuters.

What is this all about?

All types of gyroscuters are united by the principle of operation based on maintaining balance and balancing the rider. Fixation of the transfer of the user's body weight forward, backward or to the sides is carried out using a gyroscope. In the future, the received tilt signals are sent to the microcontroller, which sets the direction of movement of the gyro scooter and controls the rotation power of the electric motors in the wheels.

In simpler words, to move straight, the rider of the gyro scooter needs to tilt his body a little forward to go in the opposite direction — he will have to shift the centre of gravity a little back, and turns are carried out by transferring body weight to the corresponding leg. The more intense the impact on each zone, the faster the scooter will execute commands (for example, with a strong forward tilt of the body, the gyro scooter will begin to gain speed quickly, and with a slight acceleration, the acceleration will occur smoothly). In gyroboards with a handle, a steering speaker is used for these purposes, but this will be discussed below.

At first glance, it may seem that it is quite difficult to master the control of a gyro scooter. In fact, learning to ride it is much easier than riding a bicycle. Usually, it is enough for a novice pilot to spend about 15-30 minutes on training (depending on the specific type of vehicle), and even less for omnivorous children to everything new — they confidently balance on a gyro scooter after the first 5 minutes. skiing.

What should I pay attention to?

An important parameter to pay attention to when choosing a gyro scooter is the diameter of the wheels. So, models with 7-inch wheels are more suitable for traveling indoors or on a flat roadbed. The diameter of 8" is suitable for riding on small bumps. And 10-inch wheels allow you to confidently move off-road (small gravel, grass, etc.). Due to the peculiarities of its design, the monowheel family is equipped with 14 or 16-inch wheels with rubber tyres. In terms of cross-country ability, there are practically no equals to them, as well as in taking obstacles in the form of curbs or stairs.

An important characteristic of all gyroscuters is the power of the installed electric motor. Powerful motors improve the balancing efficiency and allow you to take the lifts more confidently. Also, the power often affects the dynamics of the acceleration of the scooter. However, many models have a forced restriction of the maximum speed of movement for safety reasons. After all, the probability of injury when driving at high speed increases significantly. The vast majority of gyroscuters are able to accelerate up to 15-20 km/h, while some "racing" models can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h (INMOTION V8 Price from 36 990 up to 39 990 ₴, Sakuma HDH-DD01-06 ).

With similar speed characteristics, it is desirable to give preference to more powerful models. Especially if the estimated weight of the gyro scooter pilot rests on the limit of the norm claimed by the manufacturer. When choosing by weight, it is necessary to take into account not only the rider's body weight — the best option is to create a weight reserve of at least 10-15%. This will make it possible to carry a backpack or bag with you, and will also serve as an additional guarantee in case of emergency situations (hitting an obstacle, climbing a steep hill, etc.).

The next serious parameter is the power reserve of the gyro scooter — the distance that the device will be able to overcome on a single charge of the built-in battery. On average, the power reserve is about 20 km, but there are models that can travel 35 km without recharging (INMOTION SCV V5 ), and as much as 65 km (Airwheel S3 ).

Protection from moisture plays an important role when riding in puddles or in the rain. The electronic components of such gyroscuters are securely hidden from water by protective covers. At the same time, it should be understood that overcoming deep water obstacles on a scooter is still not recommended, regardless of the degree of its protection.

Let's look at the different types of self-balancing vehicles in more detail:

A gyroboard with a handle

The progenitor of a series of vehicles that function on the basis of the principles of balance, is equipped with a vertical steering rack. By tilting it back and forth and turning to the sides, a change in the direction of movement of the gyroboard with a handle is achieved. In addition, the steering wheel serves as an additional fulcrum for the pilot.

But if earlier the size of the handle provided a comfortable hold of the steering wheel with your hands, then in modern models there is an increasing tendency to install a height-trimmed steering rack, the upper part of which is clamped between the user's knees. Both design types are easy to learn and use, and their disadvantage is only bulky dimensions, which affects the convenience of storing and transporting a gyroboard with a handle.

Gyroboard

The youngest and, at the same time, the most common type of gyroscuters was first released in 2014. In just three years of its existence, gyroboards (or hoverboards — by the name of the firstborn of the line, who received a name with a reference to a similar device from the fantastic movie "Back to the Future") have gained popularity in all corners of the globe. The recipe of their celebrity includes several ingredients: simplicity of design, compactness and light weight, seasoned with additional options, which will be discussed later.

The gyroboard visually resembles a skateboard with the difference that the wheels in it are located on the sides of the foot platform:

There are no support points for either the rider's hands or feet in the design of the gyroboard, therefore, when moving on it, you should rely solely on your own vestibular apparatus. However, it is not difficult to keep the balance on the platform. Both adults and children can cope with an electric board. By the way, mini versions of gyroboards are produced especially for children, which are designed for a lower load weight, equipped with small wheels and have a simpler driving technique. And their main advantage is a small maximum speed of movement (about 7-8 km/h).

Monowheel

The monowheel form factor is clear only by the name of this type of gyroscuters. This vehicle is supported by a single or double wheel, on the sides of which folding platforms for the rider's legs are installed.

Many people believe that it is much more difficult to maintain stability on a monowheel than on other types of gyroscuters. In fact, there are no significant differences in the principles of management — it is not much more difficult to ride on one wheel than on two. And in some cases it is even more convenient, since the pilot's shins have additional softened points of support on the upper part of the sidewalls of the monowheel.

Driving a monowheel around the city is a real pleasure. Not only does a large-diameter wheel "eat up" most of the irregularities of the roadway, so in addition, there is usually a handle for carrying it (folding or stationary) on the upper part of the body of a single-wheeled gyro scooter. It allows you to continue the journey with the monowheel in transport, go shopping in a store or carry the device in your hands when the energy reserve in its built-in battery runs out.

Additional options

Headlights and marker lights help to highlight the gyro scooter on the road at night. The front of the vehicle is usually highlighted with white or coloured dimensions, and the rear is red. In the presence of adaptive illumination, the colour of the dimensions changes automatically depending on which way the scooter is moving. In a number of models, it is also possible to adjust the colour of the lights through an associated smartphone application.

Bluetooth speakers can be found on board many gyroscuters. They can broadcast the playback of tracks from a tethered smartphone, thus creating a musical accompaniment while driving.

Remote control is useful when you don't want to carry a gyro scooter in your hands — you can simply control its movement from a remote control or smartphone. Also, the associated mobile phone application allows you to set the scooter on the alarm, block its movement and update the firmware.

The lion's share in the market of self-balancing vehicles is occupied by the products of Chinese companies Xiaomi (the Ninebot series of devices is the successor of the glorious tradition of the Segway brand), Airwheel, Smartway and other manufacturers from China. The quality of their performance directly depends on the cost (there is simply no one to overpay for the brand), so chasing an ultra-low price when choosing a gyro scooter is inappropriate.

Have a good choice and comfortable trips!