MinerRide

MinerRide is a green, rapid personnel transportation vehicle developed by IT Research Support Services. MinerRide utilizes an inverted pendulum design and can safely reach speeds of 12 MPH.  Its fully electric design allows riders to rapidly travel up to 6 miles on a single charge.

MinerRide is a self-balancing, two-wheeled, elevated platform operated by a rider standing on it and shifting their weight forward and backward to control speed and direction.  The steering mechanism can be shifted to the right or the left to initiate turning. 

Although there are many inverted pendulum transport devices commercially available, MinerRide focuses on low cost, unique features, and innovative designs.  Among its features are a one-of-a-kind, color-based combination lock mechanism that doubles as a speedometer when the vehicle is in operation, infrared laser rider detection units to ensure rider safety, high-torque brushless DC motors to easily climb hills, and a unique wireless programming interface to allow the vehicle’s behavior to be modified on the fly.  The distinctive aluminum chassis allows for maximum weight distribution and safety considerations and the innovative steering mechanism provides users stability and a satisfying operational feel. 

Designed and built by IT RSS students, MinerRide is a shining example of cross-discipline engineering.  The main chassis consists of a single piece of 1/2 inch thick aluminum stock with various pieces machined by both CNC mills and by Missouri S&T’s waterjet cutter, the same technology used to create the campus’ Stonehenge and Millennium Arch monuments.  MinerRide’s internal components include a lithium polymer battery, dual motor controllers, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and various other instruments all connected by a custom printed circuit board.  The vehicle is controlled by a single microcontroller that was programmed using the programming language C.  In combining experience from engineering students from mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering as well as computer science, MinerRide has proven to be a true cross-discipline project.