DIY Segway

Currently I've been working on a home project. My goal is to build a homemade Segway. The Segway will have all the functions of the real thing. This project will be built using common robotics parts such as Victors, CIMs, and gearboxes. I’ve decided to keep a blog of the progress. I will post pictures and videos of the Segway as it is built. You guys are free to post any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

2/27/09: The Controller

 To control the Segway I have selected the Arduino. The Arduino is an open-sourced micro controller made in Italy. It is fairly cheap at $30 and meets the requirements to run the Segway. The model I’ve chosen to use is the Arduino Duemilanove. The controller has 6 analog inputs and 14 digital input/outputs. More specifications can be found at http://arduino.cc/. I’ve already ordered the controller and it should be here later tonight (2/27/2009). I will post again with more information and hopefully a demo probably tomorrow.

3/1/09: The Controller (cont)

I've been currently having some problems with my video editing software so I wasn't able to post on Saturday. I have a short video of the unboxing I am working on and will post later tonight. I was able to play around with the Arduino controller over the weekend. I wrote some code to basically turn and led on and off and move a servo around. If I have time I will post a video demo of that stuff. I also placed the Arduino into a project box with a built in bread board. This will help to keep dirt from the ground getting on the board. Tonight I am hoping to order one or two victors. This way I will able to do testing with them to ensure the Segway will be able to balance correctly.

3/2/09: Accelerometer

Tonight I received the accelerometer that will drive the Segway itself. The tilt of the Segway will be calculated by the accelerometer and interpreted by the Arduino. The Arduino will then send the appropriate signals to the Victors. The Victors will then drive the motors to balance the Segway. By the way, the accelerometer is made by Parallax.

Tonight I am announcing an important challenge. The homemade Segway will need a cool name. I am leaving it up to you guys to post all the names you think would fit. The person with the best name will get the name decalled onto the Segway in large letters and will receive special riding privileges. The person with the winning name will also get to be the first person to ride the Segway (after it has been fully tested of course). If you would like to suggest a name for the Segway, please post it in a comment below.

3/9/09: Victors

On Friday (3/6/09) the victors arrived for the Segway. They are both in perfect operating condition. Also I started some of the code for the Adruino controller. The code is written in C and will be released to the public once done. Also a buzzer has been added to the controller's housing box to warn the driver when he/she is leaning too far. Along with the victors, I also received riding platform. The platform is made of aluminum and is 1/4 inch thick. However, the platform is split into two halves and will need to be fastened together. Welding them together is out of the question. The team doesn't have a powerful enough welder to do the job. Pictures of all the current parts and CAD drawings will follow this post.

4/7/09: Aluminum Base

Lately I have been working on the aluminum base that the rider will stand on. I have decided to use a type of “bridge” to connect the two pieces of aluminum that will form the base. Also, I put the Arduino controller into a different housing. The original one was too small and did no suit my needs. The new one is made from a tin “Dockers” box. This was just the right size and allowed me a lot of room for the electronics. The programming code is pretty much finished. Just some fine tuning and it will be ready to be downloaded to the Arduino. One thing I forgot to mention before is my time goal. I would hope to finish most of this project before the trip to Atlanta. This way the team and I will be able to ride it around and show it off there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I have decided to go with the name “GregWay”. The name will be placed on the front of the machine and the author’s name will be also placed somewhere on the front.