Gyrobike
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gyrobike[1] is a bicycle with a roughly 8-pound gyroscope or "flywheel" mounted coaxially between the spokes of the front wheel, and made to spin in the same direction as the wheel. As the wheel spins, gyroscopic precession gently turns the wheel into the direction of an impending fall by replacing the center of support under the center of mass, thereby stabilizing the bicycle. Unlike the precession of the wheel itself, the flywheel's precession is effective when the bicycle is moving slowly, allowing the bicycle to balance properly at low speed.
The Gyrobike was invented by a group of four students[2] at Dartmouth College for an engineering project. The children's model of the bike is touted as a replacement for training wheels.
A new prototype of an adult Gyrobike was built in 2006 by the Gyrobike team.[3] This full-size Gyrobike is intended to provide continuous stability for disabled or elderly riders.
[edit] References
- ^ The GyroBike - The magic is in the wheel - A revolutionary device that adds stability and balance to bicycles
- ^ http://www.dartmouth.edu/~vox/0506/0403/bicycle.html
- ^ GyroBike flywheel helps bicycles self-steady - Engadget
