Stability Improvement of Segway Based on Tire Model Using the SEA

This study proposes the use of a series elastic actuator (SEA) in a Segway to improve the stability of the tires during linear and curved driving, thus improving the comfort of the driver and ensuring driving stability. Recently, Segway has been developed continuously for intelligent mobile vehicles and the performance of Segway is being enhanced. Therefore, safety factors during the Segway driving have been considered seriously. In most of the developments and studies on Segway, the optimization and improvement of the controller component have been tackled and there are few studies on the safety devices and the stability of driving. The impact and vibration generated from the ground due to uneven road surfaces considerably influence the force exerted on the tire, which further affects driving stability. This research focuses on the control of the SEA based on the tire model to improve the driving stability of Segway. The performance of the proposed algorithm to improve the stability of the driver has been verified by straight and curved paths driving experiments with the tire model.