Gyroscope tech enables auto-balancing bicycle
A team of British engineers has created an auto-balancing bicycle which they say can teach kids how to ride a bike in just one afternoon.
Nine years in the making, the Jyrobike contains a patented control hub in the front wheel that uses gyroscopic technology to keep riders upright, even when they tip or wobble.
Built on the core principal that bikes become inherently stable at higher speeds, the hub behaves according to standard gyroscope rules and resists any angular force acting about its transverse axis.
That is why it is able to resist toppling force caused by gravity.
The Jyrobike features an advanced electronic and mechanical design and is powered by an internal battery that lasts for around three hours.
The flywheel control system can be controlled by parents remotely to suit each child's balance, using an optional wireless controller.
As confidence increases, the force of the flywheel can then be turned down and the control hub can eventually be removed once the child is confident enough to ride without it.
Jyrobike CEO Robert Bodill said: "Our inclusive design has the potential to help disabled kids who have never learned to ride a bike or simply find riding a bicycle difficult to master. It offers the possibility for people with mobility, balance and vision challenges to ride a bicycle in a safe and relaxed way"
Badill and his team have launched a kickstarter campaign in order to establish production in Asia and place bulk orders for the materials.
An adult version of the bike is due to be released in 2015.