Optimal Control of a Two-Mass Skate Bicycle Without Steering

Until recently it was believed that the ability of riderless bicycles to remain upright derives from a combination of the gyroscopic precession of the front wheel and the trail designed into the steering geometry. As it turns out neither influence is necessary for straight-running stability. It is a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Perantoni, G, Limebeer, D, IEEE
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
Description
Summary:Until recently it was believed that the ability of riderless bicycles to remain upright derives from a combination of the gyroscopic precession of the front wheel and the trail designed into the steering geometry. As it turns out neither influence is necessary for straight-running stability. It is also believed that rider steering torque and/or a roll moment applied to the main frame are required for steering. We show that this long-standing belief is also untrue. All the optimal-control calculations presented are computed off-line. © 2013 IEEE.