Does anyone know the history of EUCs?

[mdogbucket]

Not sure if it's been posted anywhere on this forum but I am wondering about the history of the Electric Unicycle.  

Who (what company) invented it?  Segway?
When was the first model built?
How high was pricing early on vs. now?
Were there any legal / licensing battles over the gyro technology?

Just curious

[meepmeepmayer]

I may know some stuff, but I'm not sure and no sources. We need some forum veterans to answer this. Or @Jason McNeil if he has the time (maybe later to add details when we have more info).

Maybe we can expand on the following OUTLINE (just quote and add/expand/correct and bold what you added):

• The classic Segway popularizes the self-balancing concept with batteries and electric motor. Around 2000.
• Some inventor(s) built self-balancing electric unicycles in the classic unicycle form factor (with a seat, unicycle tire, etc). Before 2010.
• Shane Chen/Solowheel do away with the seat and make the modern form factor with the folding side pedals and no seat/standing rider. Also the first commercially available EUC. In 2011.
• A shitton of cheap China clones appear, copying the exact Solowheel form factor (tire+motor, battery box on top, fender, and a minimal-surface-like shell connecting them). They all look very alike. From 2013 on, I guess
• More cheap China clones, fueled by the Hoverboard craze. 2013 on.
• (From now on, I absolutely don't know the chronological order)
• The Ninebot One appears as the first EUC that can actually be called good.
• Some day Gotway appears and other brand manufacturers like Rockwheel and IPS (at least IPS is from the generic era, I think).
• KingSong splits from Gotway in an epic saga of strife and betrayal Or that's just the dramatized version. (Anybody can tell more about that? Would love to know!)
• Inmotion appears
• Modern era of EUCs with the V8, ACM, msuper V3. From 2016 on.

[LanghamP]

There's also RYNO motors, which is on the cutting edge of [unicycle] technology.

Their latest offering is a 10mph (max) that goes 10 miles, pretty amazing.

Also note the inventor talks about his faceplant which made him prudently question his whole business.

Also also note, many if not most of the video takes place with the rider standing instead of sitting.

There's an interesting olde movie called "who killed the electric car". No one killed the electric car; it was a shitty concept to begin with if you're not using Lithium batteries. All these amazing electrics that recently came out is due to the better battery technology.

[Mimetic Polyalloy]

Sorry I can´t contribute to this topic because I joined into EUC stuff right this year. But this is a very interesting theme and I am hoping for more community input!

Edited October 5, 2018 by Mimetic Polyalloy
grammar

[Esper]

This question has been asked many times in the past. If you take a few minutes to use the forum search feature you can read all the pertinent information. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Esper

[Mimetic Polyalloy]

For sure you are right at all. Anything could be found anywhere on the internet of course. But it would be helpful for beginners if we could get some assitance to even lot discussed themes. Although I can accept this is annoying for veterans - how to improve?

[Esper]

17 minutes ago, Mimetic Polyalloy said:

For sure you are right at all. Anything could be found anywhere on the internet of course. But it would be helpful for beginners if we could get some assitance to even lot discussed themes. Although I can accept this is annoying for veterans - how to improve?

I'm sure you are joking about this, as my response was not harsh in any mean. The search bar is on the top of the page. It does not take much knowledge to use it but it does take time. Time is something that not everyone can give towards a person that is unwilling to help themselves. It is not as if I am saying to go visit another website as the information is here in this forum. Only that this forum is vast and has many many threads.

If you wish to find the information it has already been compiled from many many other locations on the internet and resides within this forum. The hard work is already done, you just have to look.

[Esper]

Now if you must insist that you need help typing in "History of EUC" within the search bar, let me link it to you.
https://forum.electricunicycle.org/search/?q="History of EUC"

[meepmeepmayer]

1 hour ago, LanghamP said:

There's also RYNO motors, which is on the cutting edge of [unicycle] technology.

...

Their latest offering is a 10mph (max) that goes 10 miles, pretty amazing.

I was actually thinking about the Ryno thing when writing the list, but since it is so obviously crap and has the "wrong" form factor (seated, handlebar)... it's irrelevant.

--

About the topic, there is A LOT to say about EUC history, but it's hidden in some posts here at best and not written down otherwise. So a comprehensive list would be nice. Probably easiest just to list things that happened by date.

Not sure who the early forum members here are who were there in the earlier phases of EUCs. @Keith @Chriull @Hunka Hunka Burning Love @US69 @esaj ?

[mdogbucket]

Part of my curiosity is that I would have guessed that Segway or some inventor had a patent on the gyroscope balance technology?  I remember early Segways were quite expensive at $5000.  Blows my mind that I can buy an INMOTION V8 that goes 19 mph and has a range of over 20 miles for just $899!  Actually even the more expensive wheels are cheap compared to my expectations given how capable they are.

I searched a bit for history but it was not clear in terms of a timeline and a bit scattered.  Just curious about how this incredible technology got so advanced and so inexpensive so fast.  Also all current makers are in China correct?  

Edited October 6, 2018 by mdogbucket

[Esper]

I really don't see how hard this is..

And in case you can't click on any of the links.
 

Quote

Ninebot definitely wasn't the first, their first models came out sometime in 2014 I think, Shane Chen of Inventist is often quoted as being the first with the first Solowheel (released 2011). The Wikipedia-article for Electric Unicycle ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_unicycle ) says this under Commercialization:

  Quote

 

In 2003, Bombardier announced a conceptual design for such a device used as a sport vehicle, the Embrio.^[5] In September 2004 Trevor Blackwell demonstrated a functional self-balancing unicycle, using the control-mechanism similar to that used by the Segway PT and published the designs as the Eunicycle.^[6] In November 2006 Janick and Marc Simeray filed a US patent for a compact seatless device,^[7] the same year that Aleksander Polutnik demonstrated a first two-axis balancing human-ridable unicycle, the Enicycle.^{[citation needed]} In 2008, Focus Designs released the first commercially available self-balancing unicycle^[8] and RYNO Motors demonstrated their prototype unit.^[9]

Shane Chen of Inventist launched the compact seatless 'Solowheel' in February 2011^[10] and in the following month concluded a licensing agreement with the Simeray brothers^[11][12] and filed a patent relating to the device^[13] which was challenged by the Simeray brothers in a related patent application filed in 2015.^[12]

 

 

SoloWheel may have been the first without seat, but the technology and basic operation was well known at that point. 

Under Early Experimentation, this is mentioned:

  Quote

Various motorized monowheels were developed and demonstrated during the 1930s without commercial success^[3] and Charles F Taylor was granted a patent for a 'vehicle having a single supporting and driving wheel' in 1964 after some 25 years of experimentation.^[4]

 

If I have the time and enthusiasm some day, I could try to write out a timeline of the (mainstream) wheels from around 2014 to nowadays, depending how you count, I'd say the current wheel are already something like 4th or 5th generation (if the first SoloWheel & clones were Gen 1)...

This might also be interesting, older models from around 2014/2015: http://www.ewheels.org/catalog/single-wheels   You don't see these around the forums anymore (not that many of those models were popular in the first place).  Looks like the page has disappeared. Too bad, there were some pretty crazy contraptions back then  

Edited August 30 by esaj

 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

I remember finding a video news report about an European inventor who was demonstrating his EUC invention.  It had a metal framework with a seat and handlebars if I recall correctly.  I can’t remember the year of the video, but it was from 2008 or earlier?  I think SBU’s were around in 2010.

It would be good to have someone create a Wikipedia page about the history of these devices.  I only found out about them back in 2015 when I got into the hoverboard craze.  In 10-20 more years, it’s going to be hard to keep track of EUC evolution over the decades.

Edited October 6, 2018 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Rehab1]

55 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

It would be good to have someone create a Wikipedia page about the history of these devices.  I only found out about them back in 2015 when I got into the hoverboard craze.  In 10-20 more years, it’s going to be hard to keep track of EUC evolution over the decades.

There is a very detailed page on the history of one wheeled vehicles and EUCs online.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_unicycle

 

Edited October 6, 2018 by Rehab1

[Mono]

20 hours ago, Esper said:

I'm sure you are joking about this, as my response was not harsh in any mean. The search bar is on the top of the page. It does not take much knowledge to use it but it does take time. Time is something that not everyone can give towards a person that is unwilling to help themselves.

True, and it seems we have learned that giving the specific search instructions right away instead of being vague would have been less time consuming (for everybody!) than having a discussion about the willingness to spend time to help.

Edited October 6, 2018 by Mono

[Rehab1]

I just updated https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_unicycle to include the Electric Unicycle Forum.

 

 

[Esper]

15 hours ago, Mono said:

True, and it seems we have learned that giving the specific search instructions right away instead of being vague would have been less time consuming (for everybody!) than having a discussion about the willingness to spend time to help.

But I did as you said and gave "the specific search instructions" only moments after the post you quoted. While I admit that I was a bit frustrated that I see people ask the same question again so recently after it has already been answered, I did still supply an instruction to the search feature as well as what to type in it to find the desired text. Is this not the proper way to teach a person about the benefits of the search feature for questions beyond the original question? Perhaps I was not as efficient in my posts as I could have been.

[LanghamP]

One interesting thing to note when watching the early EUC videos is what bad riders all these early adopters were, whereas you look at videos of present riders, and virtually without exception we ride our EUCs like extensions of our bodies.

Evidently, it's not just the technology that's advanced quickly, but also the dissemination of riding techniques via, presumably, utube and meet ups. Your early EUC adopters are always flailing their arms; your present EUC rider never does this unless trick riding. Even my girlfriend fiddles with her phone, an umbrella, and a Starbucks drink while on her EUC these days.

[Mono]

8 hours ago, Esper said:

But I did as you said and gave "the specific search instructions" only moments after the post you quoted.

True and appreciated, but when I wrote "giving the specific search instructions right away" I meant right after the questioners post, without proceeding your posts with posts on how obvious the answer to this question is.

8 hours ago, Esper said:

While I admit that I was a bit frustrated that I see people ask the same question again so recently after it has already been answered, I did still supply an instruction to the search feature as well as what to type in it to find the desired text. Is this not the proper way to teach a person about the benefits of the search feature for questions beyond the original question?

I understand the frustration, but I still think that the better response is to give the simple answer (and thereby literally showing how simple the answer/search is) instead of telling people that the answer is simple.

On a related note, "search for it" is generally a questionable answer, because it is quite often ambiguous what "it" specifically refers to.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Mono

[esaj]

I'm across the globe currently and smartphones are shit when it comes to writing... Maybe one day I'll try to compile a history of the wheels, but it takes a lot of time and serious research effort to get things right, so don't hold your breath.

[Rehab1]

3 hours ago, esaj said:

I'm across the globe currently and smartphones are shit when it comes to writing... Maybe one day I'll try to compile a history of the wheels, but it takes a lot of time and serious research effort to get things right, so don't hold your breath.

What is your current location?

[esaj]

On 10/23/2018 at 11:20 PM, Rehab1 said:

What is your current location?

Luang Prabang, Laos. I actually saw my first EUC here today, speeding down the street among scooters, I think it was an IPS Zero. Unlikely place to see EUCs, as the median income's something like $250 per month...

[adampj]

On 10/5/2018 at 7:19 PM, mdogbucket said:

Were there any legal / licensing battles over the gyro technology?

 

I know of a Jury Trial between Segway Inc., DEKA Products Limited Partnership, and Ninebot (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd., by way of Complaint against Nanjing Fastwheel Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (“Fastwheel”) - for patent infringement. I unfortunately don't know the outcome but should anyone know I'd be interested to hear.

Segway actually quote: "Segway created the market for personal transporters when it introduced the first self-balancing, zero-emission personal vehicle in 2001: the SEGWAY® Human Transporter (now known as the SEGWAY® Personal Transporter (“PT”)). Founded on a vision to develop highly-efficient, zero-emission transportation solutions using dynamic stabilization technology, Segway’s research and development was focused on creating devices that took up a minimal amount of space, were extremely maneuverable and could operate on pedestrian sidewalks and pathways."

More info here:

• https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Delaware District Court/case/1:16-cv-00536
• http://litigationtools.maxval-ip.com/UnifiedPatentViewDocument/home/index?caseid=114064
• https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/14750671/Segway_Inc_et_al_v_Nanjing_Fastwheel_Intelligent_Technology_Co,_Ltd
• Alternatively, Google the Case ID: "1:16-cv-00536".

Hope that helps! 

Edited October 29, 2018 by adampj
Formatting.

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, esaj said:

Luang Prabang, Laos. I actually saw my first EUC here today, speeding down the street among scooters, I think it was an IPS Zero. Unlikely place to see EUCs, as the median income's something like $250 per month...

Interesting! You should have followed the rider and introduced yourself.  

[esaj]

5 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

Interesting! You should have followed the rider and introduced yourself.  

It crossed my mind, but we were walking slowly on the sidewalk, when I noticed him, he was already a good 10-20 meters ahead of us and disappeared among other traffic

[jojo33]

2009 in Japan! Honda with his first modele U3X, using technology "Honda Omni Traction Drive System"...But the Tiltback was invented by the Chinese ...

 

 

 

 

Honda Unveils New Personal People Mover By Brad Berman · September 24, 2009 https://www.plugincars.com/honda-unveils-new-personal-people-mover.html

 

 

 

(my god, I just discovered a video of 2013 that shows a model exactly the same as the test model of the Mini. it's going to shock when I say on my blog that Ninebot copied  https://www.autoevolution.com/news/x-robot-shows-new-cool-electric-segway-like-vehicles-video-67862.html#agal_0 )

Edited October 29, 2018 by jojo33