Software simulation for Human Transporter

VisSim, the award-winning software program for the modelling and simulation of complex dynamic systems, has been used in the development of the revolutionary new Segway Human Transporter.

VisSim, the award-winning software program for the modelling and simulation of complex dynamic systems, has been used in the development of the revolutionary new Segway Human Transporter.

The Segway Human Transporter (HT) is an innovative enhancement to personal mobility, which allows users to travel farther and faster than walking, but with none of the obstacles or limitations of conventional transport.

The Segway HT gives people the range to cover more ground, the speed to get places faster than they could on foot and the strength to do things that were once only possible with a vehicle.

It is therefore expected that the Segway will be beneficial to emergency services in built-up areas, commuters, parcel delivery services and in carrying out everyday errands involving short journeys.

VisSim motion development software was used in the development of the vehicle, which balances through a technology called dynamic stabilisation.

Dynamic stabilisation works the same way as the balance in the human body, using gyroscopes and tilt sensors, software and circuit boards and high powered electric motors instead of the balance provided by the inner ear, brain to process and send commands and muscles to carry out these actions.

So a powerful simulation tool was needed, to mimic the way the human body works.

VisSim is ideal for the modelling and simulation of complex dynamic systems, with its features including: intuitive block diagram environment for design, simulation and production; prebuilt models of BLDC, AC induction, sensorless ACI and stepper motors; full support of TI C24x DSP peripherals (PWM, encoder, CAN, analogue, digital, serial, Flash); effective fixed-point simulation and code generation; over 100 linear and nonlinear blocks from ABCD state space to 3D lookup tables; and more than 60 embedded DSP and motion blocks from space vector generators to field-oriented control.

John David Heinzmann, Lead Engineer, Motor Drive Development at Segway LLC, enthused: "When we developed the wheel motor drives for the Segway Human Transporter, VisSim was a great tool for simulating control algorithm behaviour, tuning loop gains and verifying that what we built was behaving as expected".

VisSim is supplied and supported in the UK by Adept Scientific.

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