Let us segway

Gizmag is worth subscribing to and if you want a DIY Segway "It couldn't be simpler, two pieces of wood, one broomstick some duct tape and miscellaneous parts from the local hardware store." Oh and a bit of electronics but probably less than $500.00 out the door.

This would be perfect for a class in control theory! A classic inverted pendulum problem, with a few twists.

I've worked with some accelerometers as well as rate gyros. I've talked to engineers from the company that made the rate gyros for the Segway, and got to see some photos of the electronics. I recall something about it having 5 rate gyros. I think that 3 were just for pitch sensing (i.e. tipping forward and back). Three gyros gave them the ability to not have a safety problem if one of them failed. For a home project, I don't think that safety, or fear of lawsuits, would be as much of a concern. Just wear the bike helmet and padded jacket when you're riding it.

Steve K.