Three years ago Instructables user “stoppi71” began working on creating a DIY Segway based on an Arduino, and they just released a set of instructions on how to do it.
As you may expect, the drivetrain on this Segway is nothing complicated. Two 24V/250W motors powered by two 12V/12Ah batteries drive a pair of parallel wheels originally made for dirtbikes.
This balancing act was originally achieved using a separate gyroscope and accelerometer, but these were recently replaced with a sensor which combines the two elements together.
Some clever programming then takes the input from the sensor and either brakes or accelerates the wheels to keep the platform level.
You can see a much earlier version of the project in action below.
While it looks a bit rough their, keep in mind that it’s a video from three years ago and there’s been changes and improvements since. Apparently the 250W motors powering it there are soon to be replaced with 500W versions.
The creator of the project also states that it’s simple enough for their children to operate, so it’s not as scary as it looks.
If you want to build one or read how it was made in detail, check out the Instructables page as well as the builder’s YouTube channel.
[Source – Arduino Blog Via Instructables]
