<p>In this paper, the stability of a waveboard, the skateboard consisting in two articulated platforms, coupled by a torsion bar and supported of two caster wheels, is analysed. The waveboard presents an interesting propelling mechanism, since the rider can achieve a forward motion by means of an oscillatory lateral motion of the platforms. The system is described using a multibody model with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints. To perform the stability analysis, the nonlinear equations of motion are linearized with respect to the forward upright motion with constant speed. The linearization is carried out resorting to a novel numerical linearization procedure, recently validated with a well-acknowledged bicycle benchmark, which allows the maximum possible reduction of the linearized equations of motion of multibody systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints. The approach allows the expression of the Jacobian matrix in terms of the main design parameters of the multibody system under study. This paper illustrates the use of this linearization approach with a complex multibody system as the waveboard. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the eigenvalues considering different scenarios is performed, and the influence of the forward speed, the casters' inclination angle and the tori aspect ratios of the toroidal wheels on the stability of the system is analysed.</p>

Linear Stability Analysis of a Waveboard Multibody Model With a Minimal Set of Equations

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/IDETC-CIE2021/volume/85369

ASME 2021 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE2021)

Supporting the need among researchers worldwide for additional online and multimedia content, ASME now offers the ASME Conference Video Collection. This platform will collect and provide long-term access to conference presentation videos, encompassing all technology areas within ASME's technical conference and events program. About 30,000-40,000 engineers across all mechanical engineering and related disciplines participate in ASME conferences each year. This includes authors of approximately 6,000 to 8,000 technical papers published by ASME, the majority of whom also submit video presentations for our virtual conferences. The video collection will be available as an add-on to existing product packages or as a separate subscription.