Gyroscopically Controlled Vehicle - Research Paper
A paper on gyroscopic control methods which devolved into making a high-rpm reaction wheel.
For an independent study course, a few mechanical engineers banded together to design and build an autonomous vehicle that uses gyroscopic torque to lift a set of wheels off the ground. We set off tentatively with ambitions to create such a vehicle. It was eventually discovered through design studies that manufacturing a small autonomous vehicle with two control moment gyroscopes (to cancel unwanted torques) would be substantially infeasible given the amount of effort we were prepared to devote to the project.
So we went with the backup option of making a reaction wheel powered device and a test stand to contain the aluminum disk rotating at 5,000 RPM. It was fun to manufacture a bunch of parts, iterate on the design, and then test the capability of the vehicle. Writing the paper was a good excuse to attend ASME IMECE in New Orleans where I got a view into the academic world of research, improved my presentation skills, and had fun with friends.
Prototype Assembly
