?
!
CHECK IT OUT
16
How does the
gyrobot
balance?
The gyrobot’s secret is a
gyroscope, which is a wheel
mounted inside a special frame.
The wheel spins rapidly around
a central axis of rotation. The
frame can rotate independently
of the wheel, so it can assume
any orientation in space even as
the wheel stays in one orientation.
This is achieved by suspending the
wheel inside multiple rings, or gimbals.
Each ring can pivot on one axis. Together,
these suspension rings make up a
gimbal
suspension. Physics explains how the rapidly rotating wheel
remains spinning in one orientation. This special phenomenon
is the reason gyroscopes can be used for measuring and
maintaining the orientation of objects.
The gyroscopic wheel
is inside the gyrobot’s
head. If you look through
the transparent plastic
housing, you can see the
wheel rotating inside. It is
powered by electricity from the
batteries installed inside of it,
which power an electric motor
that spins the wheel.
But how, exactly,
does the gyroscope
enable the gyrobot
to stay balanced?
You can find out
in the following
experiments!
gimbal
gimbal
wheel
(or disc)
Axis of
rotation
