Control method for self-balancing vehicles and respective self-balancing vehicle

1 . A control method for a self-balancing vehicle equipped with a base frame, inertial sensors combined with said base frame, a motor configured to drive the vehicle to move and with a control unit connected to said inertial sensors and to said motor, comprising:

detecting the angle of inclination (α) of said frame with respect to a horizontal axis (X) and with respect of the direction of travel D by means of said inertial sensors, wherein the angle 0° defines a perfectly horizontal inclination angle of said base frame and wherein a positive angle of said inclination angle corresponds to a counterclockwise inclination of said base frame and a negative angle corresponds to a clockwise inclination of said base frame;

comparing, by means of said control unit, said angle of inclination (α) detected with respect to a predefined reference angle of inclination (γ);

driving said vehicle to move by means of said control unit when, following the forward or backward imbalance of the user of said vehicle, said detected angle of inclination (α) is being different from said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ); said motor exerting an accelerating action, or a braking action, depending on whether said detected angle of inclination (α), if measured in anticlockwise direction, has a value greater than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) or has a value lower than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ); and

manually triggering, at least when said detected angle of inclination (α) is greater than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ), a braking procedure in which said control unit replaces said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) with a fictitious reference inclination angle (β) whose value is less than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) so that said motor is driven on the basis of said fictitious inclination angle (β) to exert or contribute to exert a braking action.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) is between +5° and −5°, and said fictitious reference inclination angle (β) is between −2° and −15°.

3 . The method according to claim 1 wherein, during said braking procedure, said replacement of said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) with said fictitious reference inclination angle (β) occurs with a certain time gradualness of order between 10 hundredths of a second and 1 sec.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said fictitious inclination angle (β) is variable as a function of the speed of the vehicle, and wherein

if said speed is lower than a predefined speed value, said fictitious inclination angle (β) is modified so as to reduce said braking action.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein during said braking procedure, said fictitious inclination angle (β) is replaced by said predefined angle of inclination (γ) in a stepwise manner when said vehicle is slowing down.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said fictitious inclination angle (β) is variable as a function of the slope of the supporting surface for said vehicle, and wherein

if said slope is greater than a predefined slope value, said fictitious reference inclination angle (β) is modified in such a way as to reduce said braking action.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein triggering said braking procedure is operated by means of a braking member accessible to said user.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said fictitious inclination angle (β) is variable as a function of the pressure exerted by said user on said braking member.

9 . A self-balancing vehicle comprising:

a base frame;

inertial sensors combined with said base frame, which are adapted to detect the angle of inclination (α) of said frame with respect to a horizontal axis (X), wherein the angle 0° defines a perfectly horizontal inclination angle of said base frame and wherein a positive angle of said inclination angle corresponds to a counterclockwise inclination of said base frame and a negative angle corresponds to a clockwise inclination of said base frame;

a motor adapted to move and/or brake said vehicle;

a central control unit connected to said inertial sensors and to said motor, said control unit being configured to drive said vehicle to move when, following the forward or backward imbalance of the user of said vehicle, said detected inclination angle (α) is different from said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ); said motor exerting an accelerating action, or a braking action, depending on whether said detected angle of inclination (α), if measured in anticlockwise direction, has a value greater than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ), or has a value lower than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ); and

a manually-activated braking unit operatively connected to said control unit, configured to trigger, at least when said detected angle of inclination (α) is greater than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ), a braking procedure in which said control unit replaces said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) with a fictitious reference inclination angle (β) whose value is less than said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) so that said motor is driven on the basis of said fictitious inclination angle (β) so as to exert a braking action.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein said braking unit comprises one or more braking members accessible to said user and configured to trigger and stop said braking procedure.

11 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein said one or more braking members are of the button type.

12 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein said one or more braking members are of the lever type.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising a handlebar constrained to said base frame, said handlebar comprising said one or more braking members.

14 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , comprising a wheel, said at least one motor driving said at least one wheel to move.

15 . The vehicle according to claim 9 , comprising a seat integral with said base frame.

16 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein said predefined reference angle of inclination (γ) is between +3° and −3°.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said fictitious reference inclination angle (β) is −10°.