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Dream Electric Unicycle


exoplanet

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how did you find that picture? by the way who is the guy?

I am going to ride now later. Will think of improvements.

 

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We have to find the best surface contact structure. A wheel seems to be a nice start. To make the device more stable, a tyre with a sharp angle is good. but for traversing tram tracks you cant be overly sharp . What will be the best wheel?

 

There has to be a system that keeps the batteries or energy source usable. for batteries the temperature should be withing the right range. Insulation in cold and perhaps vents that open by some material expanding in heat. or the other way around.

How much of the battery can actually be used? 50 percent?

 

Any way. for my part I would like 90 km at an average speed of 40 ish kmh.

that would require 2000wh-4000wh is my guess.

at 20 kmh you would need 2000wh. so I guess at least double.

 

This is so that you can use it for a whole day going from place to place without having to charge. Perhaps the problem can be ameliorated because realistically you will be able to charge some. But NO. I want the ability to go the whole distance undisturbed.

400 cells. 18250. a10 wh.

This will make the device fairly unwieldy. electricity is cheap. would propane fuel cells be usable?

 

Today I rode through a gravel path. compact underneath. loose gravel on top. 4 cm ish. The wheel wobbled and i ran off.  Fixed it by hugging the machine tighter. Shouldn't have to do that. That is a learning curve, which is bad. (or good if you want this stuff to be limited so rules are not imposed)

How do we fix the gravel thing. I imagine wet snow can act the same. What are your experiences with different wheels and what factors decide the stability in gravel?

 

When i ride down a curb, the wheel tilts forward. Why? What am i doing or it doing?

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Loose, deep gravel or sand can cause the wheel to lose traction and balance so you usually have to ride with caution over these areas as the wheel will drag and you end up tilting forwards.  Changing to a wider tire or one with more grip (eg. like a BMX bike tire) might help.  Some people like @zlymex use tire chains to ride up mountains over snow and ice while others insert studs into their tires.  I don't think there's a universal tire that's best suited to all weather and terrain conditions.

I think we discussed previously whether augmenting electric unicycles with backup gas motors would work like a hybrid system, but I think the concensus was that although using one to help run a charger might work, it would be noisy, heavy and inefficient.  Hopefully as new tech comes out the power density for our power cells will increase.  Maybe someone will rig up a small electric motor and power inverter one day to their EUC and run it as needed to help extend range for ultra-long trips.

1109dp_01+renewable_diesel_vs_electric_c

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OK, here's a feature that is actually viable - bluetooth output.

What?  Why?  You ask.

When I'm riding near heavy traffic or construction, it's hard to hear the warning beeps.  Of course, we could make the wheels louder/obnoxious - like a garbage truck backing up.  But using a bluetooth headset would be another option.

I don't wear headphones when riding, largely because I wouldn't be able to hear the warning beeps.  With this, headphones would provide for additional safety in loud areas.  Of course you wouldn't want them to block out background noise, but loosely fitted, they would provide for better feedback from the wheel, without blocking external sound.

It would be really slick if you could set the wheel up as a bluetooth "bridge" - it would receive a bluetooth signal from your phone with music/audiobook (as if it was a bluetooth speaker), and rebroadcast to a headset, with overlay such that the audio could be overridden by warnings when needed.

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Genious! I also dont like obnoxious noises. got some outside the bedroom window of some people i know late at night. not good.

Actually I would go so far as to say that warning sounds should be unnecessary. why should one have them? isnt tilt back enough?  I think the answer is more power, more tiltback, perhaps having the wheel do a super hard but super short accelleration cicking your feet a bit, or tapping them if you will when you exceed top speed. Sound can come when you are on the power limit or perhaps other better use cases. But with sufficient power, the limit should never be near.

I drove throug mud and gravel on roller skate wheels today. conclusion is that they are too smoth and too small/sharp, so they sink into the ground.  2-3 inch wheels. So something wider might work. also such small wheels might struggle with everyday obstacles even with shock absorbers. The active shock absorber system isn't realistic before we have cheaper fuel or better batteries for cheap electricity. By the way what are your electriciity prices? mine are about 10 cents per kwh. diameter seems to have to be about 20 cm. but that is big. It would be preferable with something closer to 10 cm diameter.

When the shock absorbers extend when jumping, the wheel may still catch what you are trying to jump over or up. how do we fix?

When hitting obstacles, whe should allow for shock absorbtion in the travel direction as well. this will allow us to hit bigger obstacles and if the tilting sensor is mounted on the unsprung part, then the wheel will accelerate to climb the obstacle rather than jolting us forward.

 

Maybe too much complexity is bad. whatever. this is the dream electric unicycle.

I like the bluetooth idea.

 

What about a james bond solution that I think nokian or something has on their tyres. where studs are deployed on ice. could have the same for pattern to grab snow and mud.

 

I am aiming at something with 400 cells giving about 4000 wh which should give about 75 km at top speed of 50km/h. Is that approximately right?

By the way. what height of the pedals do you guys like or want? I am thinking about 20 cm when the machine is wheighted. 10 when compressed and 30-40 when extended.

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The big advancement I'd like to see is a major reduction in weight for 18 inch wheels.  I'm not sure it's possible without hurting battery capacity, though.  Apparently Inmotion sliced a kilo off the weight of the V8 by using higher end alloys for the motor, but there just isn't a lot of fat to trim. 

I've got high hopes for King Song's 18 inch wheel.  I think it may have the best chance at being the lightest 18 inch wheel with decent battery life. 

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1 hour ago, mezzanine said:

The big advancement I'd like to see is a major reduction in weight for 18 inch wheels.  I'm not sure it's possible without hurting battery capacity, though.  Apparently Inmotion sliced a kilo off the weight of the V8 by using higher end alloys for the motor, but there just isn't a lot of fat to trim. 

I've got high hopes for King Song's 18 inch wheel.  I think it may have the best chance at being the lightest 18 inch wheel with decent battery life. 

IPS sliced 2.5kg on a 14" wheel from the Zero to the i5 with almost same battery capacity (260 - 245). I think it also gained some range with a 15wh less battery capacity but I am assuming this as I tested both in different countries too (Different roads). If there is some heavy engineering there is room for lighter wheels in the coming future. I still wonder what the S5 will be with IPS

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5 minutes ago, exoplanet said:

and why do you want 18 inch wheels?

My guess is that you can use a much smaller motor running along the inside of the rim. How to make it silent though.

I live in Canada and think the wider tire would be useful in winter.  It's why I'm curious about the new Ninebot Z series and could see that being my next wheel. 

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So a smaller wheel with a wider tread or a belt with a wide enough tread might work?

by the way, the ninebot z tyre looks fairly sharp/angled.

 

today i tested the limits of my wheel braking. It stopped giving power or my feet slipped. I think the former. So the product  is shit obviously. (shouldn't have to think and be careful)

Also the hill climbing ability is abysmal and tilt back is not powerful enough/there isn't enough reserve to save me at top speed going into big bumps and stuff.

 

More power

Suspension system

safer pedals that centre under the load so there is little chance of tilting your feet off.

Also the device is hideous and a monstrosity. It should barely be noticable apart from the speed you maintain without moving.

IF the device doesn't use a sphere, should the wheel steering be amplified by a servo so one can turn without twisting so much?

also too much turning resistance.

 

I think part  of the problem we will face is that these machines are huge. People can point to them and say that those shouldn't be ridden somewhere. if they dont see the device, they cant ban it  either. how do we make it invisible`? i am thinking size and colour  and shape. sound  lights . what can be done to make this a viable thing?

I just want to ride at break neck speeds without busy bodies bothering me and be able to take the thing with me or lock it without people staring too much.

 

do we use air suspension or spring or magnetic?

 

This is such bullshit. I was riding on the sidewalk and being aware of the indentations for drainage. Then i thought I better pay attention some more and just a second later i fell flat on the rock surface and lost my breath. fuck. Slid maybe 7 metres. beat that suckers. Anyhooo. The machine i was riding is obviously woefully underpowered since it cut out (I presume) also it needs shock absorbers. When riding in the dark and even in daylight small ripples in the asphalt are fucking iritating. I dont want to pay attention and i dont want my legs to fuction as shock absorbers. FIX IT. Also do so that it doesnt bounce around when you jump off. And the shit needs to be lighter. under 5 kg for mobility and preferably lower for safety. Good Night.

 

Also the device doesn't have enough climbing power and cuts out when trying to climb small steep things and if i ride it hard from a stand still. Not safe. Not good. I should be able to mistreat and abuse the limits without it failing. Even if i dont. Also my back hurts. Hope no internal bleeding or some shit like that. Foul mouth i KNow.

 

It seems, either you have to have a way of locking the device, because it is too big or impractical to bring with you into a building etc.

Or it needs to be small enough to be able to be carried around (also shouldn't muddy your suit) so the ips5 almost fits that category

Or it needs to be small enough to fit in the pocket.

The big ones are the equivalent of a big gaming laptop.

The smaller ones are like the mac book air or a tablet.

and the last one would be the smart phone.

 

If I can pick the smartphone without losing functionality, i would chose it any time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Who will be the first to create a mono version of this (and electric, of course)? A UniTank:

I often turn a thumbs-down at those new rideables that are either fun or practical but never both. This one caught my eye, though.

 

On 9/27/2017 at 10:08 AM, JimB said:

OK, here's a feature that is actually viable - bluetooth output.

The newer versions of WheelLog have warning sounds through the phone. I have yet to try this function (reaching for my phone but alas -- I forgot it at work) and if I recall correctly you can set speed limits but not (yet) power or battery warnings.

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Can your euc take rain and water?

My start and stop button seems to have a temporary malfunctioning due to rain. Also it doesn't respond properly when dry. I press, no work...I press frenetically and it works.

 

Also. I notice when i ride through puddles that wather splashes through the inside of the foot pedals and get my feet and ancles wet. Only when the water is deep enough and i ride fast though.

 

How do you cope when going out/ to the pub? where do you park the device?

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16 hours ago, exoplanet said:

How do you cope when going out/ to the pub? where do you park the device?

I usually grab one of my 14 inch wheels, go under 8 mph, and wear no protection at all. Getting there I'll throw my coat over it, tuck it away, anything so it doesn't attract attention.

Except for the lack of safety features, I believe my perfect EUCs have already been built, or at least the EUCs I have are so splendid that I don't feel to urge for more and different EUCs.

I would put gravel roads as one of the more dangerous surfaces, over that of grass, rough trails, tree roots, and such. Gravel is pretty bad when you lose front to back balance; my one bad fall was on gravel when my wheel starting slipping then kept spinning beyond all reason which of course causes it to have even less traction.

I'm sure all the old hands know this, but when you ride on gravel (or over slippery train tracks) you eventually learn to tip the wheel in the opposite direction of the spin, and so save yourself from a spin/crash. Saying that, I do rode my KS14c a lot of gravel as it is fun and makes me a better rider.

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I tested experienced riding on ice. works if you ride carefully. turning is slow and accelleration is slow. How can we improve this? anyone ride with spikes?

 

What would the problem be with having a taller device so you dont have to bend down to pick it up? Would centre of gravity be too high?

I like riding in the dark without people seeing me. When the police show up i want a quick way to activate a blinking light.

 

Experienced again. riding 2 times 30 minutes leaves me fatigued and feel standing isnt comfortable.

So again, more speed. like 40 or more safely.

Shock absorbers, and high profile low pressure tyres.

 

A way of having shock absorbers is to have some kind of foam with open cells inside the tyre.

Leave a small gap between the foam and the inside of the tyre area in contact with the road surface.

This way you have normal springy tyres, but when riding into a curb, you dont bounce up and down, but return to neutral.

btw. some guy on youtube has implemented shock absorbers on the pedals. good stuff.

also the range was reduced by the cold today

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On 10/29/2017 at 9:42 AM, exoplanet said:

I tested experienced riding on ice. works if you ride carefully. turning is slow and accelleration is slow. How can we improve this? anyone ride with spikes?

@EUC Extreme built his own studded snow tires which seem to work pretty well.

 

 

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On 28/10/2017 at 7:39 PM, LanghamP said:

I usually grab one of my 14 inch wheels, go under 8 mph, and wear no protection at all. Getting there I'll throw my coat over it, tuck it away, anything so it doesn't attract attention.

Don't think that would work for everyone.

Especially the getting back home from the pub part :lol: 

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2 minutes ago, litewave said:

I was thinking that the Ninebot One Z could be a better snow wheel for the winter with the proper tire.

@EUC Extreme – have you been considering the Z?

I'm not. Pedals too low, and it's too slow.
I expect the sale to become a fast EUC. Anyone. At the moment everyone is too slow and I do not want to get that.

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New problems detected:

Thud from pedals when folding them down and up. To preempt: No its not good enough to have to add some rubbery thing myself. It has to be quiet from the store.

Random shutoff while riding. I was riding alon. maybe not at top speed when the device shut off. I was in the middle of mild braking so luckily i just stepped off. Could have been water in the on off button or some remote hacker ;)

Too much water. When riding in water and bringin the device in to charge, especially at someone elses house, it feels wrong to have so much water dripping and pooling leaving dirty spots when dry. how can we reduce the water amount or have a smart way to get rid of it? I am thinking smaller wheel.

The wheel should be presentable. that is You can walk it like a small suitcase with wheels and not be embarassed. Therefore the device has to not look like a toy like a majority of the wheels out there look like. Remove the 10 year old boy factor. Also I realised how difficult it is to ride in pitch dark. The speed I am comfortable at gets reduced almost to walking speed.

 

By the way, commuting a total of 1 hour or more a few times a week, gives plantar fasciitis.

 

I think we have a problem with condensation. The start and stop button is unresponsive at the most inconvenient of times.

Also I have to stop commuting on the wheel as it is giving me plantar fasciitis. HAd it before, dont want it again.

Also the wheel should be capable to coast over speed bumps without me noticing it or at least without me having to brace for it.

When riding down stairs the big wheel gets stuck on the previous step and makes me roll uncontrolled down the stair. Smaller wheels would allow me to take one step at a time.

And again. range, speed and power.

 

So update from sleet, ice and snow.

Should have shock absorbers so i dont have to stand bent at the knees to maintain speed.

Studded tyres (rubber knobs) for grip

shrouds so that water doesnt slosh and splash on feet when riding deep i puddles.

something to keep the thing dry when it tops over.

weatherproof so it doesnt get water damage

a way to just step off when walking into a store for instance.

 

More riding in snow. I would like fat bike tyres for riding on snow covered roads with low pressure if they still give good directional stability.

Also a light sufficiently strong to see eneven road ahead would be nice. Shock absorbers would be great. I regularly ride into holes 5-10 cm deep and the jolt could throw me off if i wasnt ready. If i bend at the knees, the cushioning effect is good enough it seems. So let me stand up straight and experience the same cushioning.

I find myself slowing down considerably to brace for bumps. Would me much nicer to just be able to ride over them unencumbered.  A big wheel would help, but the tradeoff is portability and stuff.

Something like the ninebot 10z  would be great. just add shock absorbers, integrate trolley handle and mud guard, treble battery life 3000wh and make a version that isnt as much batman, but more neutral.

 

 

Rode more in snow. Up hills with doesnt work too well because the wheel is too sharp (surface area) and sinks into the snow making it lose its directional stabiliity and coming into contact with the ice underneath. Then I spin and the wheel must be dismounted. Wide soft tyre is the solutionhere.

 

the shock absorber system should perhaps be angled so that bumps get absorbed without straining the mechanics so much. so the wheel gets pused back and up rather than just up.

 

Ninebot shorted the house's electricity activating the circuit breakers. Charged oudoors. I think water shorted the two pins in euro plug. Not good. subpar.

also slim tyre digs into snow and loss of control occurs.

 

Drawing of the snowmonster or winter beast will follow.

 

Another problem detected and that needs to be adressed in a perfect euc:

In between the motor and the shell, snow and debris get caugt. This can lead to loud noises as you ride and to bringing tonnes of snow and dirt into your home. This could be remedied with brushes and a soft inside of the shell to vibrations dont get transmitted to the outer shell and cause noise.

 

https://imgur.com/a/gH1vQ

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snow monster

diameter of a 40 inch wheel or more.

or radius.

 

So today i came across slippery ice with the machine. I definitely need spikes for a day like this. Have you guys seen those sleeves to pull over tyres that in themselves are tyres with spikes ?

Also front and back lights as well as braking light activated when you decellerate beyond what you need to balance. I guess blinkers could be activated with the heels. a horn perhaps with the toes.

 

I have taped the charger to the device to charge wherever i go. Water seems to get into the wrong places. perhaps it is condensation and not full water drops.

bigger diameter wheel would be nice to ride with more comfort across bumps of ice and in the snow. But shock absorbers would do alot of the same job. Also more power. 800 watts is insufficient for a 75 kg rider. let alone with a passenger on your back.

 

perhaps a kickstand can be activated by foot control. Then you can ride to a store and just walk off and then step right on and drive away. Like a boss. Rather than bending down and looking like a childish idiot.

 

Oh.and also I think i want a mirror finish on mine so that is seems i am just floating mid air.

 

oh. and another thought. changing the tyre should be easier. Some sort of quick release like on bicycles. Having a puncture is no fun. Also thick enough rubber to last a lifetime of riding would be nice.

 

It would be cool to have two tracks side by side like squished tank. then you could have a long belt for bridging holes and bumps and still be able to turn easily by manipulating the relative speeds of the belts.

Today I felt the need for shock absorbers to take the rumbling away from my legs or spine. It would be fantastic to ride on the bumpy snow or gravel paths and have it feel like newly laid asphalt. Just give back that feeling of floating rather than fighting with the terrain.

 

Report from today. riding up a hill and maintaining a nice speed. Wheel dips beneath me and dissapperar behind me. I step off. Fine.

The problem was that the wheels was spinning very fast to keep me upright i think and it reached its max speed. with a more powerful motor and higher cutoff speed and of course better grip (low pressure fat bike tyre or belt with rough thread or spikes (on tyre sleeve?) would prevent this problem. )

we should float on top of the snow and not cut through too much.

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  • 2 months later...

Can a (single) tracked vehicle still be considered an euc? (Why not make it completely flat a do away with pedals?)

zYI542X.jpg

On 1/9/2018 at 5:17 PM, exoplanet said:

I guess blinkers could be activated with the heels. a horn perhaps with the toes.

I'm really curious how the toe honker works. (Please elaborate.) :D

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the toe honker works by putting your weight on your heel on one foot and tapping the sidewall with your toe ball part of your foot.

The reason for not just being a flat platform is to be able to grip it when you jump or when you get sideways forces from riding at an angle down a curb.

The reason for not having the belt totally flat like a tank (unless you have two) is to be able to steer efficiently. I guess you could accomplish this by angling the belt or having two of them in line.

Michelin_Design-Hyanide_Offroad_Motorcyc

 

 

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20 hours ago, exoplanet said:

the toe honker works by putting your weight on your heel on one foot and tapping the sidewall with your toe ball part of your foot.

The reason for not just being a flat platform is to be able to grip it when you jump or when you get sideways forces from riding at an angle down a curb.

The reason for not having the belt totally flat like a tank (unless you have two) is to be able to steer efficiently

Maybe toe horns should be standard on all euc's; (if only for compliance purposes). :thumbup:

Mattracks-Powerboard.jpg.1962a891ba4b82cf591d8a1d46861026.jpg

I've seen snowmobiles with one belt, but most added skis for added stability. When you miniaturize the concept, you end up with something akin to a powered snowboard. (Straps secure rider to board, thus the flat surface.) However, using body movements to steer would be a big improvement on previous designs. ^_^

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today i got snow on my pedals after putting my foot down. The grip was very reduced for a little while. I think metal spikes or higher rubber spikes would be nice for the pedals. maybe not metal because of leather. but perhaps make some more clearance between the rest of the pedal and the tops of the rubber so snow doesnt cause a problem. Also enough speed to keep up with traffic would be nice. also give us lights on the device.

also give us leg rests that can be adjusted up or down. I would like to rest the device above my calf muscles and not lower so that i have more firm control. make it adjustable for different people.

 

an electric snowboard wouldnt be dumb. perhaps you could twist the belt like in the image previously or you could go for a truck skateboard version where two belts are steered by leaning the board.

 

It is important that we do not only focus on top speed, but the speed at which it is comfortable to ride. ninebot e+ is not comfortable to ride at 22 kmh in many conditions. not good.

 

I would like to add that if you manage to over lean it by trying hard, it is underpowered

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59 minutes ago, exoplanet said:

I would like to add that if you manage to over lean it by trying hard, it is underpowered

You can probably overlean pretty much any existing EUC close to its max speed. 

 

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And that is why they are all inadequate. There needs to be a power reserve available at top speed.

come to think of it. A design of the device so it is more like a snow board in that if the motor cuts, you can still just glide to a halt rather than tipping forward would be nice.

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