A self-balancing powered unicycle device (100) having a single hubless wheel is disclosed. The self-balancing powered unicycle device comprises: a single wheel (120); a motor adapted to drive the wheel; a balance control system adapted to maintain fore-aft balance of the unicycle device; at least one foot platform (165) for supporting a user of the unicycle device; and a casing (110) adapted to cover at least a portion of the outer rim of the wheel. The self-balancing powered unicycle device further comprises at least one energy storage device compartment (150A, 150B) protruding outward from a side of the casing (110) and adapted to house an energy storage device for powering the unicycle device.

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

A wheel stability control system for an electric vehicle including an electric motor, a drive inverter, and an electronic control unit (ECU) including a computer readable, non-transitory memory (memory) and an electronic processing unit (EPU). The memory stores information including an optimal acceleration and deceleration curve and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The EPU calculates the electrical moment of the electric motor from inputs from the drive inverter and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The ECU compares the electrical moment and the angular speed of the motor with the optimal acceleration and deceleration curve, and if the acceleration or deceleration of the electric motor is out of a predetermined range when compared to the optimal acceleration and the optimal deceleration, it reduces the electrical moment applied by the electric motor.

A wheel stability control system for an electric vehicle including an electric motor, a drive inverter, and an electronic control unit (ECU) including a computer readable, non-transitory memory (memory) and an electronic processing unit (EPU). The memory stores information including an optimal acceleration and deceleration curve and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The EPU calculates the electrical moment of the electric motor from inputs from the drive inverter and the electrical characteristics of the electric motor. The ECU compares the electrical moment and the angular speed of the motor with the optimal acceleration and deceleration curve, and if the acceleration or deceleration of the electric motor is out of a predetermined range when compared to the optimal acceleration and the optimal deceleration, it reduces the electrical moment applied by the electric motor.

A torque upper limit value changing section increases an upper limit value of a torque instruction value in a powering range in case a rotational speed reduction degree is greater than a reference value and decreases the upper limit value of the torque instruction value in the powering range in case the rotational speed reduction degree is smaller than the reference value.

This invention concerns an electric drive system (200) for driving an output. The electric drive system comprises: a first electric motor (250) arranged to drive a first input shaft (230) at a first angular velocity, ω.sub.1, and a second electric motor (260) arranged to drive a second input shaft (240) at a second angular velocity, ω.sub.2. A gear mechanism (210) is provided and is arranged to transmit angular rotation of the first (230) and second (240) input shafts to drive the output (220) at an output angular velocity, ω.sub.out, such that ω.sub.out is proportional to aω.sub.1-bω.sub.2, where a and b are constants. The electric drive system (200) further comprises a controller (270) arranged to control operation of the first (250) and second (260) electric motors. When the output (220) is to be driven from ω.sub.out=0, the controller (270) is arranged to control the first (250) and second (260) electric motors to drive the first (230) and second (240) input shafts. The input shafts are driven in a first phase to primary first and second angular velocities, ω.sub.1,p and ω.sub.2,p, such that aω.sub.1,p≈bω.sub.2,p. The input shafts are also subsequently driven in a second phase in which the first angular velocity, ω.sub.1, or the second angular velocity, ω.sub.2, or both are varied such that aω 1≠b.sub.ω2 and the output is driven from ω.sub.out=0. The result of this is that the motors run in a more efficient part of their output profile, even whilst the vehicle is at rest, pulling off (especially in situations of high output load such as on off-road or otherwise difficult terrain), or moving at low velocity.

A method for dynamic control of an electric vehicle operable based on a throttle value received from a throttle and a default throttle map correlating default output values with throttle values, the method including: determining a user parameter; detecting a condition indicative of perturbation; in response to detecting the condition indicative of perturbation, determining a replacement output value for a first throttle value based on the user parameter; and controlling vehicle operation to meet the replacement output value in response to receipt of the first throttle value.

A system and method for preventing instability of a vehicle due to regenerative braking of a rear wheel are provided, which previously reduce a regenerative braking amount, thus securing vehicle stability and updating a regenerative brake map according to a braking situation, may include a first controller configured of distributing braking torque of front and rear wheels for a deceleration level according to a basic regenerative braking distribution ratio on a regenerative brake map on the basis of a driver demand braking amount, and configured of previously reducing a rear-wheel regenerative braking torque of the rear wheel to a first reference value or less than the first reference value in an adjustment section between first and second deceleration; and a second controller connected to the first controller and configured of further reducing the rear-wheel regenerative braking torque to transmit it to the first controller, if a wheel slip value is greater than a reference slip value according to vehicle driving information during braking of the vehicle.

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

The present disclosure relates to a controller (7) for controlling an electric machine (6) to drive a wheel (4) of a vehicle (1). The controller (7) includes a processor (15) configured to determine an effective torque (T). A speed demand signal (27) for controlling the wheel speed is output by the processor (15). The processor is configured to detect changes in the effective torque (T) as the wheel speed (S) changes and to modify the speed demand signal (27) in dependence on the detected changes in the effective torque (T). The processor (15) may determine a derivative (dT/dS) of the effective torque (T) with respect to the wheel speed (S). The present disclosure also relates to a method of controlling an electric machine (6) to drive a wheel (4) of a vehicle (1).