Gyroscopic stabilization of a kid-size bicycle

This paper reports the design and development of a self-balancing bicycle using off the shelf electronics. A self-balancing bicycle is a non-linear unstable system similar to that of an inverted pendulum. Experimental results show the robustness and efficiency of a proportional plus derivative (PD) controller balancing the bicycle. The system uses a control moment gyroscope (CMG) as an actuator for balancing.