British YouTuber James Bruton has created what might be the world’s first driveable, self-balancing, omnidirectional, mecanum-wheeled electrical bike. Made from a mix of off-the-shelf and 3D-printed parts, the bike is certainly unique.
Building on his success with an earlier prototype self-balancing conventional bicycle, the new vehicle must be seen in action to be believed. The mecanum-wheeled bike balances much like a Segway but can also move in any direction thanks to its novel wheel configuration.
However, this latest gadget is not Bruton’s first crack at the whip with the Mecanum wheels it uses. In the autumn of 2023, he also released a video of a self-balancing omni-wheel project.
This earlier vehicle could balance itself and move sideways without any issues, but it couldn’t move forward or backward. To this end, Bruton thought he’d try a new approach.
Combination of 3D and off-the-shelf parts
And so, Bruton decided to turn to mecanum-styled wheels. These differ from omni-wheels in that they have a set of rollers mounted at diagonal angles on the outer edge of the “wheel.”
While the mecanum rollers allow for free-spinning, the wheels drive the vehicle. By controlling the speed and direction of these four wheels, a vehicle equipped with four mecanum wheels can move in any direction or spin in place.
As off-the-shelf wheels are generally limited in size, Bruton was forced to design and 3D-print his own. For this particular project, he explains, he needed to make a set of four with a diameter of 14.2 inches (360 mm).
He also used timber parts and off-the-shelf parts, like ball bearings, to finish the setup. Once assembled, Bruton positioned the four wheels sideways to maintain the chassis balance rapidly.
The wheels are propelled by electric motors connected to toothed rubber belts, enabling them to move forward or backward as required. After installing a set of rigid handlebars, a bench seat, and a charmingly dorky headlight, the Screw Bike was ready to go.
Once activated, the bike can patiently balance in place and is surprisingly stable once the rider mounts it. Like a Segway, you can lean it left or right to start moving in either direction.
World’s first mecanum-wheeled bike
The bike can be driven forward using a twist throttle without affecting its self-balancing ability. There is a switch on the bars to go backward, and a separate set of controls allows the rider to spin the bike in place.
“Wow, this feels amazing!” exclaimed Bruton as he took his first indoor test ride on a unique machine. Despite being in his kitchen, he managed to avoid crashing into anything.
Encouraged by his success, he then took the machine to a nearby car park to test its capabilities. He spun and glided effortlessly in all directions, thoroughly enjoying the experience. As New Atlas points out, the new bike doesn’t look particularly fast, but it must be a very interesting ride nonetheless.
It also lacks any form of suspension, so it is not recommended for long rides. But that isn’t really the point of the project. If you fancy having a go yourself, Bruton has released the CAD designs and code for the Screw Bike for anyone who is crazy enough to follow his lead.
