Stairs Mode, I can't be the only one to think of this, can I?

[Roadpower]

So I just watched a video by Sensi Vegan in which he makes a common observation about heavy wheels and stairs, that is what provoked this thought.

Basically you activate stairs mode in your app, this will tilt the wheel 35 degrees (I looked at typical stairs design angle) which will allow you to power bump the wheel up the stairs while clearing the steps from the leading bottom edge of the wheel. It will probably be tricky at the bottom and top of the stairs but I think will otherwise work.

I want royalties!

[Tawpie]

In addition to clearance at the front of the wheel, one of the challenges is keeping the wheel from bouncing when it hits the next stair. If it gets to bouncing, things get sketch really really quickly. I still haven't fixed all of the 'evidence'.

[Roadpower]

8 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

In addition to clearance at the front of the wheel, one of the challenges is keeping the wheel from bouncing when it hits the next stair. If it gets to bouncing, things get sketch really really quickly. I still haven't fixed all of the 'evidence'.

Yeah it is definitely going to be on the user to use operational care, but heck we are talking about electric unicycles here where some of us are flying on roadways shared with cars doing 30+ miles an hour, lol. I think at least a few of us can figure out the stairs thing.

[Paul A]

Maybe one or a few of these.

[techyiam]

On my V12, it goes up really easily without slip nor bounce. And it has a 16" wheel.

On the other hand, it takes effort to get an Abrams to go up the exact same steps. The Abrams has a 22" tire.

The difficulty lies with Abrams motor won't engage unless the wheel is sufficiently torqued forward.

Whereas, on my V12, a little nudge, and it starts climbing up the step.

The secret to climbing stairs is two fold.

The first is to ensure sufficient normal force is placed on the front edge of the step by the tire.

The second is to get the motor to engage without reducing the normal force.

Edited November 26, 2022 by techyiam

[Roadpower]

39 minutes ago, techyiam said:

The difficulty lies with Abrams motor won't engage unless the wheel is sufficiently torqued forward.

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if a ride mode change will cause it to behave differently because it sure is tempting to think that the larger wheel diameter would be a winner.

[techyiam]

16" diameter wheel is plenty large enough. If there sufficient traction, the wheel just self-climb each step. I don't find the the 22" tire an advantage. I was surprised by that.

Now if the motor is not used to assist in the climbing of each step, then the tire diameter will be important. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by techyiam

[Roadpower]

Now that I think about it, it's probably the mechanical advantage that is actually the winner from the stop, the larger diameter is the winner when rolling. doh, I should have thought about it more the first time.