In my Global Engineering course, I worked with a team of 6 mechanical engineering students to create a human-powered roll stabilization attachment for utilitarian two-wheeled vehicles. Our final design attaches underneath a motorcycle using a ball hitch, and maintains balance by providing a platform for the user to push against with their feet. This attachment was designed for motorcycles in Insia, which are used for transportation of goods on the bike frame, transportation of goods on a trailer, and even pulling agricultural implement in farms. Balancing on these unmodified vehicles at slow speeds is difficult, and riders often drag their feet on the floor to keep it upright. Our attachment allows the rider to easily balance while still maintaining maneuverability and a small profile. A paper detailing the conference was presented in the 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conference. A patent was also submitted for the design. For more information see "Diaz Lankenau, GF, Daigle, L, Ihns, SH, Koch, E, Saadi, J, Tornes, P, Wu, JM, & Winter, AG, V. "Design of a Human-Powered Roll Stabilization Attachment for Utilitarian Two-Wheeled Vehicles." Proceedings of the ASME 2019 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 3: 21st International Conference on Advanced Vehicle Technologies; 16th International Conference on Design Education. Anaheim, California, USA. August 18–21, 2019. V003T01A035. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2019-98469"
Small two-wheeled tractor stabilizer attachment, making it easy to balance at slower speeds
Original single outrigger design
Sketches of possible ideas in the group brainstorming phase
Two ideas were modeled and tested, a double outrigger attachment and a balance board
Final prototype with ball joint hitch and foot pedals
FBD and equations for tipping angle of the vehicle and the rider
