instructables

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle

by Rama Rekto

Interested in some of the trend of self balancing products such as segway and solowheel.
yes, you can go anywhere by riding your wheel without tiring. but it's great if you can have it yourself. Well, Let's
Build It :)

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 1

Step 1: Ready Your Electric Motor

The first step of the project is the selection of the right unity. So, electric DC motor other than hub-motor is
motor, why? because this project we are required not recommended for this project.
how to make electric vehicle with small dimension
and light weight. Hub-motor that I choose with wheel size 14inch, I
think enough for me because it fits with the
In this project I chose the Electric Hub-Motor, I ergonomics of Indonesian bodies.
suggest you to use hub-motor only because if using a
standard motor you will need a complicated Specification motor-hub = Power: 500watt,
mechanical system. excess hub-motor here we no Voltage: 60v, Size: 14inch
longer need to connect between motor and wheel use
chain, because wheel and motor have become one

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 2

Step 2: Designing Vehicle's Body (using 3D CAD Software)

At this step, it's time we put our imagination about Well, on this project I have designed the vehicle body
vehicle body into 3D image. 3D model design before using Autodesk Inventor Professional. I'm sure
fabrication is very important, to minimize the you've used it too right? but if you do not have time to
occurrence of workmanship errors. draw it, you can download some of my part files on
I need to make 3d drawing first because the my grabcad account.
manufacture of vehicle framework using CNC
machine.

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 3

Step 3: Making Frame (Aluminium Frame)

Manufacturing process of this project, I divide into electronics and battery place.
three steps, the first is metalwork (Aluminium Frame),
the second is nonmetal (PE Material), the last is body 2) solid aluminum (14cm x 11cm x 5cm) = used for
cover (PVC pipe material). pedal holder.

Now we start from metalwok (aluminium frame). This work you need a manual milling machine or cnc
Aluminum frame is the main frame of this vehicle, the milling machine.
weight of the rider will be supported by this aluminum You can download the pedal holder file here :
frame, electronic laying and batteries are also https://grabcad.com/library/pedal-holder-1
mounted on this aluminum frame. You can look for
aluminum material from junk shop, roughly you need You can download the Plate frame file here :
some old aluminum: https://grabcad.com/library/self-balancing-unicyc...

1) 3mm aluminum sheet (80cm x 40cm) = used for

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 4

 1

1. Pedal Holder

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 5

 Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FJV/PRDH/JCAUVBPK/FJVPRDHJCAUVBPK.pdf
…

Step 4: Making Frame (Non Metal)

These non-metal frames are not as important as frame with 4mm nuts, then the side of this part will be
aluminum frames, but these non-metal frames that installed body cover
will beautify your one-wheel, are used as a body-
cover holder and also has a handle that allows you to You can download these parts here :
carry it everywhere. https://grabcad.com/library/case-holder-self-bala...

The center of this part is mounted on the aluminum

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 6

 Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F5O/1IAQ/JCAUW5NC/F5O1IAQJCAUW5NC.pdf
…

Step 5: Electrical System

The battery that used is Li-Ion battery with Location of IMU sensors installation on the vehicle,
specification: voltage 60v and current 2200mAh, you greatly affect for the balance, on this project the IMU
can buy it from online store. sensors mounted on the aluminium frame and 4cm
above the wheel axis.
The electronics system that used in this project is the
ARM Cortex F4 as a minimum system. Gyroscope the filter that use for the combination of gyroscope
and accelerometer sensors that integrated in the IMU and accelerometer sensor is the Kalman filter,
sensor is used to obtain forward and backward
balance of this vehicle. The driving circuit as the please refer to my research paper about Kalman
motor driver is the IRAM BLDC. Filter >>
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7861046/?sect...
For detailed information about electrical system, you
can refer to this paper for reference >>
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7860971/

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 7

 1 1

1. pens wheel 1. Driver Motor

1. Minimum System

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 8

Step 6: Programming - Balancing Test With No Rider

This balancing test with no rider, this test should be http://www2.keil.com/mdk5/uvision/

completed before driving
http://www.coocox.org/software/coide.php
If the condition of the vehicle is still unstable like the
video above, it means not to be ridden. You have to the filter that use for the combination of gyroscope
change the PID value in order to get the best result, and accelerometer sensor is the Kalman filter,
the vehicle must be perfectly balanced before being
ridden (marked with this vehicle stationary, not please refer to my research paper about Kalman
moving at all) Filter >>
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7861046/?sect...
the software application used to program is the Keil For detailed information about electrical system and
uVision and Coocox IDE, I'm sure you already know control, you can refer to this paper for reference >>
it, for more details can visit here http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7860971/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG4jiFLVoo8

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 9

 Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F7H/F3VS/JCQK9984/F7HF3VSJCQK9984.txt
…

Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FC4/074S/JCQK9986/FC4074SJCQK9986.txt
…

Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F76/RKK3/JCQK9987/F76RKK3JCQK9987.txt
…

Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F8U/0DX9/JCQK9988/F8U0DX9JCQK9988.txt
…

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 10

Step 7: Making Body-Cover From PVC Pipe, Mold From Plywood

The material used for this body-cover is PVC pipe otherwise you can cut it manually.
that is flatten and shaped manually by burning
process. how to make it, first cut your pvc according to the
required mold shape, then burn it until it can be
Ready your PVC pipe, some plywood sheets, and molded and put on the mold, let it cool and stiff.
glue.
How to Flatten the Pvc Water Pipe for Making Any
First you need to make a mold made from plywood, I Stuff by burned, you can go to my friend's tutorial
suggest you cut the plywood using laser cutting https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-flatten-th...
because the result is better and more precise,

1. Image Source >> http://hargaper.com/harga-pipa-pvc-terbaru.html

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 11

 Download
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/F1E/393J/JCGK2GCN/F1E393JJCGK2GCN.pdf
…

Step 8: Let's Ride

Let's Ride.. :)

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm2IwxtHnW8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdRlzG3ovfQ

its cool men,

wow

That's so awesome!!! I have maybe one suggestion: you can make the PVC layer out of ABS
plastic sheets too! there are a lot of people that use ABS plastic for vacuum forming.
https://www.banggood.com/ABS-Plastic-Plate-30x20x0_3cm-Black-Styrene-Flat-Sheet-Multi-
purpose-Board-p-1120630.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN <=== an ABS plate pretty
cheap.
A vacuum forming set up can be made pretty easily with an old oven and vacuum cleaner.

Thanks for your Suggestion, if i get that material i'll try it

That's really impressive! It looks like a lot of fun!

thank you

share some videos

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 13

 Not much to say except... IT WAS AWESOME!

--> VOTED ! ! !

Mantabz.. beli jadi di sampeyan berapa rupiah bos?

Street legal?

Not in the UK.

Absolutely awesome! Well done!!!

I saw someone crash their one wheel skateboard and get taken away in an ambulance. He was
going uphill and the power failed and down he went on to his hip.

Are you controlling it with the "leash", or is that just to stop it running away when you get off ?

thats wonderful! in the electronic drawing you have a GYRO. where is that? i did not see it in the
build plans.

Amazing project. Congratulations on having such a nice looking project in the end.

People are asking about the cost. I think this is one of those projects you do not because it costs
less than buying one, but because it is a way to learn how each one of these systems work and
gives you the skills to build bigger, better and newer projects. This looks like it was done by a
group of university students. As a class project this is great.

Awasome, but is this wheel safety? I think it only can Drive by person who trained

I would think of it like a bicycle. No, it is not safe until you learn to ride it. But once you do it can be
as safe or as dangerous as the rider makes it.

It looks very nice. Is that a 3phase motor with H bridge from the DC input, or does the motor have
brushes?

Any recommendations on where to order such a hub motor from? Or where to salvage them from?

Keren bro.

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 14

 nice!

Very well done, but how much did this cost, in total? And how much would a comparable wheel
cost retail?

Wow! How much did all of this cost?

Very cool.

DIY Self-Balancing One Wheel Vehicle: Page 15