Is it possible to make a Segway with your own hands? How difficult is it, and what parts are required? Will there be homemade apparatus perform all the same functions as a factory-made one? A bunch of similar questions arise in the head of a person who decides to build it with his own hands. The answer to the first question will be simple and clear: anyone who has at least a little understanding of electronics, physics and mechanics can make an “electric scooter” themselves. Moreover, the device will work no worse than one produced on a factory machine.

How to make a Segway with your own hands?

If you look closely at the hoverboard, you can see a rather simple structure in it: it is just a scooter equipped with an automatic balancing system. There are 2 wheels on both sides of the platform. To carry out effective balancing, Segway designs are equipped with an indicator stabilization system. Pulses coming from the tilt sensors are transported to microprocessors, which, in turn, produce electrical signals. As a result, the hoverboard moves in a given direction.

In order to make a Segway with your own hands, you will need the following elements:

• 2 wheels;
• 2 motors;
• steering wheel;
• aluminum blocks;
• support steel or aluminum pipe;
• 2 lead acid batteries;
• aluminum plate;
• resistors;
• emergency brake;
• steel axis 1.2 cm;
• PCB;
• capacitors;
• LiPo battery;
• Gate drivers;
• LED indicators;
• 3 x ATmtga168;
• voltage regulator;
• ADXRS614;
• 8 Mosfets;
• two Springs;
• and ADXL203.

Among the listed items there are both mechanical parts and electronic elements, and other equipment.

Segway assembly procedure

Assembling a Segway with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. If you have all the necessary components, the process takes very little time.

Collection of mechanical parts

1. Motors, wheels, gears and batteries can be borrowed from Chinese scooters, and there are no problems at all with finding an engine.
2. The large gear located on the steering wheel receives transmission from the small gear on the engine.
3. The gear on the wheel (12 inches) is free-wheeling - this requires some modifications to allow the rotating elements to work in both directions.
4. A fixed axle, attached by three aluminum blocks (which can be secured with 5mm set screws), forms the base of the platform.
5. Using the SolidWorks program, you need to draw a drawing of a part that will allow the hoverboard to turn to the sides while tilting your torso. After this, the part must be turned on a CNC machine. The machine used the CAMBAM program, which was also used in the manufacture of the box for the emergency brake unit.
6. The handlebar is attached to a 2.5cm hollow steel tube.
7. To ensure that the steering column is always located in the center, and the reverse thrust is more intense, you can use a pair of steel springs.
8. The steering wheel is equipped with a special emergency button connected to a relay - this allows you to reduce engine power.
9. Motor power supplies - batteries at 24 V.

Collection of electronic parts

In order to assemble a Segway with your own hands, it is not enough just to fasten the mechanical parts. Electronic control no less important in a hoverboard, because it is a fairly important component of the unit.

1. A printed circuit board with a computing function collects information from sensors - gyroscope, accelerometer, potentiometer, and then sets the direction of rotation.
2. Without the ATmtga168 processor, the scooter will not be able to work normally. The connection to the computer is made via Bluetooth and RN-41.
3. With the help of two H-bridges, control pulses from the base board are converted to the force of the motors. Each bridge is equipped with ATmtga168, the boards communicate with each other via UART.
4. All electronics are powered by a separate battery.
5. In order to quickly get to the batteries, as well as program the base board and change the parameters of the control loops, you need to make a small box with connectors, equip its body with a trimming potentiometer on top, and also equip it with an electronics power switch.

Segway software

How to make a Segway with your own hands so that it definitely works? That's right - install the software (or software). Here are the necessary steps to complete this task:

1. The microcontroller software includes a filter for the accelerometer and gyroscope and the PD control loop.
2. Kalman and Complemenatry filters will do the job perfectly.
3. Write applications using the Java programming language - this will allow you to see the battery charge level, all sensor readings and control parameters.

That, perhaps, is all that is required from a person who decides to make a Segway on his own. Understanding the topic and process, as well as the necessary components, will allow you to build an excellent hoverboard at home.

If you think that it is impossible to make a hoverboard or mini-Segway at home with your own hands and strength, then you are far mistaken. Oddly enough, there are many videos on the Internet where many craftsmen make their own hoverboard. For some, it turns out to be very homemade, but there are also those who were able to really get closer to the creation technology itself and reproduce a truly interesting and high-quality thing. So is it possible to make a hoverboard with your own hands? Adrian Kundert, an engineer and just a good person, will tell us about this.

What is a hoverboard?

How to make a hoverboard with your own hands? In order to understand how to make a homemade hoverboard, you first need to understand what a hoverboard is, what it consists of, and what is needed to create this interesting means of transportation. A hoverboard is a self-balanced vehicle, the operating principle of which is based on a system of gyroscopic sensors and internal technology maintaining the balance of the working platform. That is, when we turn on the hoverboard, the balancing system also turns on. When a person stands on a hoverboard, the position of the platform begins to change; this information is read by gyroscopic sensors.

These sensors read any change in position relative to the earth's surface or the point from which gravitational influence comes. After reading, the information is sent to auxiliary boards, which are located on both sides of the platform. Since the sensors and the electric motors themselves operate independently of each other, in the future we will need two electric motors. From the auxiliary boards, the information in processed form already goes to the motherboard with a microprocessor. There, the balance retention program is already carried out with the necessary accuracy.

That is, if the platform tilts forward by about a few degrees, then the motors are given a signal to move in the opposite direction and the platform is leveled. The tilt in the other direction is also performed. If the hoverboard tilts to a greater degree, then the program immediately understands that there is a command to move the electric motors forward or backward. If the hoverboard tilts more than 45 degrees, the motors and the hoverboard itself turn off.

The hoverboard consists of a body, a steel or metal base, on which all the electronics will be attached. Then there are two electric motors with enough power to be able to drive under a person’s weight of up to 80-90 kg. Next comes motherboard with a processor and two auxiliary boards, on which the gyroscopic sensors are located. And of course, a battery and two wheels with the same diameter. How to make a hoverboard? To solve this issue, we will need to obtain certain design details of the hoverboard itself.

What do we need?

How to make a hoverboard with your own hands? The first and main thing you need is two electric motor, with the power to carry the weight of an adult. The average power of factory models is 350 Watts, so we will try to find engines of this power.

Next, of course, you need to find two identical wheels, approximately 10-12 inches. It’s better to have more, since we will have a lot of electronics. So that the cross-country ability is higher and the distance between the platform and the ground is at the required level.

Two batteries, lead-acid, you need to choose a rated power of at least 4400 mAh, and preferably more. Since we will not do metal structure, but it will weigh more than the original mini-segway or hoverboard.

Production and process

How to make a hoverboard that is powerful and so that it can keep its balance while riding? First we need to make a plan for what kind of vehicle we will need. We need to do quite powerful tool movement with big wheels and great cross-country ability on different roads. Minimum value continuous driving should be 1-1.5 hours. We will spend approximately 500 euros. Let's install a wireless control system for our hoverboard. We will install a reading device for problems and errors, all information will go to the SD card.

Hoverboard diagram

In the diagram above you can clearly see everything: electric motors, batteries, etc. First you need to select exactly the microcontroller that will carry out the control. Of all the Arduino microcontrollers on the market, we will choose the UnoNano, and the ATmega 328 will act as an additional information processing chip.

But how to make a hoverboard safe? We will have two batteries connected in series, so we get required voltage. For electric motors, a double bridge circuit is precisely what is needed. A ready button will be installed, when pressed, power will be supplied to the engines. When you press this button, the motors and the hoverboard itself will turn off. This is necessary for the safe driving of the driver himself and our vehicle.

The Arduino microcontroller will run at about 38400 baud, using serial communication with the XBee circuit. We will use two InvenSense MPU 6050 gyro sensors based on GY-521 modules. They, in turn, will read information about the position of the platform. These sensors are accurate enough to make a mini Segway. These sensors will be located on two additional auxiliary boards that will perform the primary processing.

We will use the I2C bus, it has sufficient throughput to quickly communicate with an Arduino microcontroller. The gyroscopic sensor with address 0x68 has an information update rate of once every 15 ms. The second address sensor 0x68 works directly from the microcontroller. We also have a load switch; it puts the hoverboard into balance mode when the platform is in a level position. In this mode, the hoverboard remains in place.

Three wooden parts, on which our wheels and electric motors will be located. The steering column is made from an ordinary wooden stick and will be attached to the front of the hoverboard itself. Here you can take any stick, even a mop handle. It is necessary to take into account the fact that batteries and other circuits will produce pressure on the platform and thus the balancing will be slightly reconfigured, precisely in the part where there will be more pressure.

The engines need to be evenly distributed on the right and left sides of the platform, and the battery should be maximally in the middle in a special box. We attach the steering post to the usual feints and attach the ready button to the top of the stick. That is, if something goes wrong and the button is pressed, the hoverboard will turn off. In the future, this button can be converted into a foot part or adjusted to a certain inclination of the platform itself, but we will not do this for now.

The internal circuit and soldering of all wires is carried out according to the same scheme. Next we need to connect two gyroscopic sensors to our microcontroller, using a bridge circuit with a motor, according to this table.

The balancing sensors should be installed parallel to the ground or along the platform itself, but the right and left turn sensors should be installed perpendicular to the gyroscopic sensors.

Configuring sensors

Next, we configure the microcontroller and download the source code. Next you need to check the correct relationship between the gyroscopic sensors and the rotation sensors. Use the Arduino Terminal program to program and configure the hoverboard. It is necessary to configure the PID balance controller. The fact is that you can choose engines with different power and characteristics, for them the tuning will be different.

There are several options in this program. The first most important parameter is the Kp parameter, it is responsible for balancing. First, increase this indicator in order to make the hoverboard unstable, and then reduce the indicator to the desired parameter.

The next parameter is the Ki parameter, it is responsible for the acceleration of the hoverboard. As the angle of inclination decreases, the speed decreases or increases with reverse action. and the last parameter is the Kd parameter, it returns the platform itself to a level position, and puts the engines in hold mode. In this mode, the hoverboard simply stands still.

Next, you turn on the power button of the Arduino microcontroller and the hoverboard goes into standby mode. After you stand on the hoverboard itself, you stand with your feet on the push button, so the hoverboard goes into “stationary” mode. Balancing sensors turn on and when the angle of inclination changes, the hoverboard moves forward or backward. In case of any breakdowns, you can easily repair the hoverboard yourself.

What do we need? To begin with, let’s take wheels from an abdominal exercise machine. Gearbox 12 volts and 160 rpm. Powerbank for 15,000 milliamp hours. In order to be able to control the vehicle, that is, turn right or left, accelerate and slow down, we will use modules that we have already used in the manufacture of a homemade lawn mower. This way you can regulate the engine speed. Accordingly, 2 modules, 2 engines, 2 power banks.

The two sets work separately. Suppose we add speed to the right engine, the Segway will turn left. The same thing, but mirrored, when turning right. If you add speed to two motors at the same time, the product will accelerate.

First, let's install the gearboxes. To do this, place it in the center on a plywood sheet, trace the outline and use a cutter to make a recess. In the same way as the gearbox was attached on the left side, we do it on the opposite side.

You need to cut out several of these bars and screw them on the sides. This is necessary so that the plywood does not sag.
We remove the wheels and put them on the axle. As you can see they are different from each other. You need to make two wooden bushings first. We will use a homemade one lathe on wood. The result was two wooden blanks.

Insert the workpiece. Drill a hole and glue the workpiece epoxy resin. (The author made an amendment at the end of the video, read below).

Now we will make the steering wheel. For this we will use a piece sewer pipe. We took the handle from the simulator. We will make holes in the upper part of the plywood and secure the pipe and handle. A Segway's handlebars should be slightly sloping, so we made a hole in the plywood at a slope and trimmed the plastic pipe.

All control modules will be installed on the steering wheel. You need to stretch 8 pieces of wires from the steering wheel to the gearboxes. To prevent them from sticking out from above, we first make a through hole in the pipe and insert the wires.

And now again you need to glue everything with epoxy resin and wait 24 hours. The wheels turned out to be deformed; epoxy turned out to be not a very reliable material. I disassembled the gearboxes, removed the shafts and cut threads on them. I also drilled holes in the wooden bushings. I inserted metal bushings and now it all looks much more reliable. The wheels can also be screwed in very tightly. Plastic pipe It seemed not entirely reliable; a shovel handle was inserted inside it to strengthen it.

We put 2 modules in the panel. You need to drill holes in the pipe for the resistors. All that remains is to glue the buttons using hot glue. Route wires to the module, gearboxes, and power banks. Screw on the wheels.

For those who are afraid of connecting the wires incorrectly, everything is described in detail on the modules.

The Segway will also have a bike speedometer. The test version of the homemade Segway is ready. Let's test it.

Chinese Segway – photo of appearance

Until recently, I didn’t even know what it was called, “well, this is a gurney on two wheels, you ride standing up.” I recently learned that this electric scooter on two wheels is called Segway or Segway, in English – Segway. For those who still don’t understand what we’re talking about, see the photo on the left.

You can find out more about this wonderful two-wheeled scooter on Wikipedia or on sellers' websites, but I will describe it briefly and move on to the main thing - the design and repair of a Segway. There will be a lot of photos, as well detailed description electrical diagram Segway.

This wonderful device allows a person to easily move on two wheels. At the same time, the Segway control system includes a balancing system that virtually eliminates the possibility of falling.

The word “practically” always worries me. So it is this time.

But first things first.

Segway breakdown

My story began with the fact that a man on a Segway fell. I was driving at a decent speed, and my nose hit the asphalt!

I started to figure out what was going on. It turned out that when turning the ignition key, sparks came from this key, and the wheels were braked. There were no errors on the display, but this was only because the device actually could not turn on - sparking in the lock contacts led to the contacts being covered with soot, and the current from the battery did not flow to the circuit.

It’s strange that the contacts didn’t burn and didn’t stick together tightly, however, then the wiring would have burned out, because... at a current of about 100 Amperes there was no provision, and the standard fuses remained intact.

Yes, it’s worth saying that this Segway was a cheap fake, and was bought ten days before it broke. Everything was written in Chinese (as far as I understand Chinese), except for “Warning!” However, the build quality can be judged from the photo.

The cause of the breakdown was that the power transistors through which the motors were powered burned out. But more on this a little later.

Segway device. Disassembly

What I particularly liked were the wheels with solid treads. That is, it is assumed that this scooter can be used in difficult conditions.

However, the boards are not protected from moisture at all, there is not even any varnish. And in general there are no rubber seals against moisture...

The steering wheel is screwed on and can be unscrewed during transportation:

Steering wheel mount. Front view.

And here's the rear view:

Fuses and charging connector

You can see two 50 A fuses (the Segway circuit will be slightly lower), a battery charge connector, and above all this are “lights” in the form of 12 V LEDs.

Top panel. On it are the main controls and displays:

Segway top panel

At the top is a display that shows the battery charge, below are warnings that must be read carefully before getting behind the wheel. If anything is unclear, call)

Three LEDs indicate the state of the Segway: 1 – turn left, 2 – turn right, 3 – horizontal position (the position in which a person can stand and start moving)

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We remove the wheels.

Wheel removed

Segway with wheels removed

Remove the front panel.

Removing the top cover

It looks very unpresentable, but this is just the beginning.

Front panel at the back. The wires are pulled back. The lock has been removed.

A variable resistor is attached to the steering column of the steering wheel, which turns only to the right and left, which recognizes the tilt of the steering wheel and gives a signal to the controller to turn.

Variable steering resistor

Resistance – 10 kOhm, linear characteristic.

I just want to say “offal”

As I said before, the build quality is terrible. Although, there are no special complaints about the mechanics.

Electronic filling of the Segway

Now let's take a closer look at the electronics of the Segway.

Here is a photo of the control board connection.

Larger device and board connection

Power transistors – IRF4110:

Power transistors of the control board

It was a couple of these transistors that burned out. At the same time, this pair short-circuited the battery power, forming a short circuit.

Segway electronic circuit – general view

Let's look at the elements of the circuit in more detail.

Electronic circuit of a Segway - general view - another angle

The circuit in general is not large, we will divide it into several parts - a receiver, a controller, an electronic gyroscope, transistor drivers, power transistors, a power supply.

Microcircuits IC3, IC4 are a radio channel that allows you to control the Segway from the remote control. That is, configure it, calibrate it, block it, diagnose it.

Chip IC2 is an ATMEGA 32A controller. This is the heart of the Segway, or rather, the brain. The most important thing is contained here - the program, the algorithm of work. It is this program that controls the rotation of the wheels and prevents a person from falling.

If the controller is the brain, then the gyroscope is the sense organs. The gyroscope is a small INVENSENCE MPU6050 chip. This remarkable device is a three-channel position meter (tilt along three axes) and a three-channel acceleration meter. If anyone remembers from physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. Honestly, I don’t understand how such meters can be crammed into this chip. I still knew electromechanical gyroscopes, but only electronic accelerometers. Now I found out that there are such things, and they are used very widely, mainly in mobile and automotive electronics.

On last photo You can also see two CD4001 buffer chips (this is 2I-NOT). This is for decoupling the controller and the rest of the circuit. Next, the control signal goes to the IR2184S drivers, which supply voltage to the gates of the power field devices, the photos of which I gave above.

The XL7015 power supply is a DC-DC converter; from a floating DC voltage of about 48V, it produces a stable DC voltage of 15V by converting at a frequency of several kilohertz. Next, a regular Krenka 7805 produces 5 Volts. There was a yellow clumsy jumper, I had nothing to do with it. But the burnt track at the top right is the 0V supply path for control, it had to be restored.

The low-current elements of the Segway circuit are connected via a backplane:

Signals come to this board: from the steering wheel potentiometer, from the person presence buttons, to the control panel LEDs. And the wires go to the main board.

Here is an engine with gearboxes, on the axles of which the wheels are directly mounted. Well made, just no markings:

Wheel motor with gearbox

The battery also does not contain any inscriptions:

Battery 48V

Includes two charging wires (thinner) and two output wires.

Do you see the distorted places? The battery is not secured at all, dangles in the Segway, and hits the sharp edges of the stiffeners.

In general, it was made poorly... in short, it was poorly made, and one way or another, the early breakdown of the Segway was inevitable.

Another gadget - a converter, was also lying on the bottom, wrapped in film. Since the side light LEDs are designed for a voltage of 12 V, and the battery is designed for 48 V, a DC-DC 48-12 V converter is used:

Sibway diagram

Segway repair

Repairing the Sibway came down to replacing the power transistors, their drivers, and piping resistors. The burnt-out track was also restored, the lock and key were replaced with ordinary toggle switches, and a 63 A circuit breaker was included in the circuit. I hope, if something happens, it will save the circuit from burning out.

Only in this case will someone’s nose suffer again.

So the forecast is pessimistic, buy only quality items, especially when it comes to safety! Now it’s clear why all the photos show a Segway rider with a helmet on...

Riding a Segway

Riding a similar original off-road Segway (in quiet mode) is shown in the video:

The video also talks in detail about technical specifications this wonderful device.

Nowadays, a small self-propelled platform with two wheels, the so-called Segway, which was invented by Dean Kamen, is becoming increasingly popular. Noticing the difficulty that a wheelchair user had when climbing onto a sidewalk, he saw an opportunity to create a vehicle that could help people get around without special effort. Kamen put into practice his idea of ​​​​creating a self-balancing platform. The first model was tested in 2001 and it was a vehicle with buttons on the handle. It was developed for people with disabilities and allowed them to move independently even over rough terrain. New model became known as the “Segway RT”, and already allowed steering by tilting the lever left or right. In 2004, it began to be sold in Europe and Asia. Price of the most advanced modern models, for example Segway PTi2 - about $5,000. IN lately Chinese and Japanese companies are creating devices with various modifications and innovative design. Some even make similar vehicles with only one wheel, but let's look at the classic Segway.

Segway consists of a platform and two wheels placed transversely, driven by two electric motors. The system itself is stabilized by a complex electronic circuit that controls the motors, taking into account not only the driver’s inclination, but also the condition vehicle, which allows it to always remain in a vertical, stable position. The driver, standing on the platform, controls the speed by simply moving the handle forward or backward, and when tilting to the right or left - turn. The control board monitors signals from appropriate motion and orientation sensors (similar to those that allow smartphones to change screen orientation) to help the onboard microprocessor accurately orient the platform. Main secret segway is not so much in the electro-mechanical part, but in the code that takes into account the physics of movement with significant mathematical accuracy in data processing and behavior prediction.

The Segway is equipped with two brushless electric motors made using a neodymium-iron-boron alloy, capable of developing a power of up to 2 kW, thanks to a lithium-polymer battery.

Segway parts

To create a Segway you need two gear motors with wheels, a battery, electronic circuit, platform and steering wheel.

The motor power of inexpensive models is approximately 250W, which provides speeds of up to 15 km/h, with relatively low current consumption. They cannot spin the wheels directly, because the high speed of these motors does not allow them to obtain the necessary traction. Similar to what happens when you use the gears of your bicycle: by increasing the gear ratio, you will lose speed but increase the force applied to the pedal.

The platform is located below the motor axis. The battery, the weight of which is quite high, is also located under the footrest in a symmetrical position, which guarantees that even without a driver on board the Segway remains in an upright position. In addition, internal mechanical stability will be aided by the electronic stability control unit, which is fully active when the driver is present. The presence of a person on the platform raises the center of gravity above the wheel axis, which makes the system unstable - this will already be compensated by the electronics board.

In principle, you can do such a thing yourself by purchasing the necessary electronics unit on a Chinese website (they are on sale). All parts are installed using screws and nuts (not screws). Special attention Care must be taken to ensure proper chain tension. The batteries are secured using U-shaped clamps with small rubber gaskets to ensure required pressure. It is recommended to add double sided tape between the battery and the platform, so that there is no slipping. The control panel must be inserted between two batteries and secured with special spacers.

There may or may not be a control lever - after all, Segway models without it (mini-Segway) are now popular. In general, the thing is interesting and not very expensive, since according to information from friends, the wholesale purchase price in China is only $100.