Gyrobike
Encyclopedia
A Gyrobike is a bicycle
with a Gyrowheel for its front wheel. The Gyrowheel contains a motor-driven flywheel
that spins independently, and uses the principle of gyroscopic precession
to help stabilize the bike and the rider. Precession responds to a lean of the bike by turning the front wheel in the direction of the lean, which can help provide stability at low speeds, whether riding straight or turning.
The Gyrobike was invented by a group of four students at Dartmouth College
for an engineering project. The Gyrowheel is currently offered in two children's sizes, for 12-inch and 16-inch wheeled bikes, each of which is available in two different color schemes (a white wheel with a yellow flywheel, and a black wheel with a red flywheel). Product development is also underway on an adult-sized Gyrobike intended to provide continuous stability for disabled, elderly or other riders.
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
with a Gyrowheel for its front wheel. The Gyrowheel contains a motor-driven flywheel
Flywheel
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia, and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed...
that spins independently, and uses the principle of gyroscopic precession
Precession
Precession is a change in the orientation of the rotation axis of a rotating body. It can be defined as a change in direction of the rotation axis in which the second Euler angle is constant...
to help stabilize the bike and the rider. Precession responds to a lean of the bike by turning the front wheel in the direction of the lean, which can help provide stability at low speeds, whether riding straight or turning.
The Gyrobike was invented by a group of four students at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
for an engineering project. The Gyrowheel is currently offered in two children's sizes, for 12-inch and 16-inch wheeled bikes, each of which is available in two different color schemes (a white wheel with a yellow flywheel, and a black wheel with a red flywheel). Product development is also underway on an adult-sized Gyrobike intended to provide continuous stability for disabled, elderly or other riders.