SUMMARY

A class of personal transporters based on Two-wheeled inverted-pendulum machines has emerged as alternative transportation system for urban and indoor environments. However, these machines are inherently unstable. Typical use conditions can lead to very unstable and dangerous conditions. Furthermore, the control system does not attempt to stabilize the system laterally, which creates a fast-acting hazard that is extremely challenging for the user to anticipate and mitigate. In this work, a vehicle and user model will be developed to investigate the potential operating parameters that can cause failure during normal use. This model will aim to provide a more thorough description of the wheel-ground interaction and the dynamics of a human rider than previous works. The models will also serve as a test platform for evaluating traction-control methods that have not typically been used in these devices and that can potentially ameliorate the dangers associated with wheel slipping and lateral instability.