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53-475: Implemented on a Segway platform, the Muppet Mobile Lab is a two-wheeled science-lab vehicle that resembles a small rocket ship. Two Muppet characters, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker , pilot the vehicle through the park, interacting with guests and deploying special effects such as foggers, flashing lights, moving signs, confetti cannons and spray jets. The two animatronics characters and

106-696: A Beijing -based transportation robotics startup rival, acquired Segway Inc. in April 2015, broadening the company to include other transportation devices. In June 2020, it was announced that it would no longer make the Segway PT. The Segway PT, referred to during development and initial marketing as the Segway HT, was developed from the self-balancing iBOT wheelchair which was initially developed at University of Plymouth , in conjunction with BAE Systems and Sumitomo Precision Products . The first patent of human transporter

159-436: A coil of wire wound around an iron core. DC running through the wire winding creates the magnetic field , providing the power that runs the motor. The misalignment generates a torque that tries to realign the fields. As the rotor moves, and the fields come into alignment, it is necessary to move either the rotor's or stator's field to maintain the misalignment and continue to generate torque and movement. The device that moves

212-422: A microcontroller , or may alternatively be implemented using analog or digital circuits. Commutation with electronics instead of brushes allows for greater flexibility and capabilities not available with brushed DC motors, including speed limiting, microstepping operation for slow and fine motion control, and a holding torque when stationary. Controller software can be customized to the specific motor being used in

265-444: A decline in use of brushed motors. These disadvantages are: During the last hundred years, high-power DC brushed motors, once the mainstay of industry, were replaced by alternating current (AC) synchronous motors . Today, brushed motors are used only in low-power applications or where only DC is available, but the above drawbacks limit their use even in these applications. In brushless DC motors, an electronic controller replaces

318-441: A direct-drive design. Brushed DC motors were invented in the 20th century and are still common. Brushless DC motors were made possible by the development of solid state electronics in the 1960s. An electric motor develops torque by keeping the magnetic fields of the rotor (the rotating part of the machine) and the stator (the fixed part of the machine) misaligned. One or both sets of magnets are electromagnets , made of

371-682: A fixed armature , eliminating problems associated with connecting current to the moving armature. An electronic controller replaces the commutator assembly of the brushed DC motor, which continually switches the phase to the windings to keep the motor turning. The controller performs similar timed power distribution by using a solid-state circuit rather than the commutator system. Brushless motors offer several advantages over brushed DC motors, including high torque to weight ratio, increased efficiency producing more torque per watt , increased reliability, reduced noise, longer lifetime by eliminating brush and commutator erosion, elimination of ionizing sparks from

424-477: A great amount of power to RC racers and, if paired with appropriate gearing and high-discharge lithium polymer (Li-Po) or lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, these cars can achieve speeds over 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). Brushless motors are capable of producing more torque and have a faster peak rotational speed compared to nitro- or gasoline-powered engines. Nitro engines peak at around 46,800 r/min and 2.2 kilowatts (3.0 hp), while

477-434: A motor controller excites the coil windings in the actuator causing an interaction of the magnetic fields resulting in linear motion. Tubular linear motors are another form of linear motor design operated in a similar way. Brushless motors have become a popular motor choice for model aircraft including helicopters and drones . Their favorable power-to-weight ratios and wide range of available sizes have revolutionized

530-483: A permanent transportation method for the patrollers of the old town. The Segway miniPro is also available to be used as the mobility section of a robot. Disability Rights Advocates for Technology worked to supply Segway PTs to veterans who had trouble walking. (Segway Inc. cannot market its devices in the US as medical devices. Kamen sold the intellectual property rights for medical purposes to Johnson & Johnson, makers of

583-501: A rugged country version" of Segway PT. Versions of the product prior to 2011 included (in order of release): In March 2014, Segway Inc. announced third generation designs, including the i2 SE and x2 SE sport, new LeanSteer frame and powerbase designs, with integrated lighting. Ninebot, a Beijing-based transportation robotics startup and a rival of Segway Inc., acquired Segway Inc. in April 2015, having raised $ 80M from Xiaomi and Sequoia Capital . The acquisition came months after

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636-551: A trip odometer, and put the vehicle into security mode, which locked the wheels and set off an alarm if it was moved, and could also be used to turn on the PT from up to 15 feet (4.6 m) away. Segway Inc. was acquired by British businessman Jimi Heselden from its U.S. inventor Dean Kamen in December 2009. A year later, Heselden died after he "plunged into the River Wharfe while riding

689-689: A variable speed response, brushless motors operate in an electromechanical system that includes an electronic motor controller and a rotor position feedback sensor. Brushless DC motors are widely used as servomotors for machine tool servo drives. Servomotors are used for mechanical displacement, positioning or precision motion control. DC stepper motors can also be used as servomotors; however, since they are operated with open loop control , they typically exhibit torque pulsations. Brushless motors are used in industrial positioning and actuation applications. For assembly robots, Brushless technogy may be used to build linear motors . The advantage of linear motors

742-410: Is a synchronous motor using a direct current (DC) electric power supply. It uses an electronic controller to switch DC currents to the motor windings producing magnetic fields that effectively rotate in space and which the permanent magnet rotor follows. The controller adjusts the phase and amplitude of the current pulses that control the speed and torque of the motor. It is an improvement on

795-462: Is a trend in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration industries to use brushless motors instead of various types of AC motors . The most significant reason to switch to a brushless motor is a reduction in power required to operate them versus a typical AC motor. In addition to the brushless motor's higher efficiency, HVAC systems, especially those featuring variable-speed or load modulation, use brushless motors to give

848-647: Is another reason for their popularity. Legal restrictions for the use of combustion engine driven model aircraft in some countries, most often due to potential for noise pollution —even with purpose-designed mufflers for almost all model engines being available over the most recent decades—have also supported the shift to high-power electric systems. Their popularity has also risen in the radio-controlled (RC) car area. Brushless motors have been legal in North American RC car racing in accordance with Radio Operated Auto Racing (ROAR) since 2006. These motors provide

901-415: Is applied at each of the connections. The wye ( Y -shaped) configuration, sometimes called a star winding, connects all of the windings to a central point, and power is applied to the remaining end of each winding. A motor with windings in delta configuration gives low torque at low speed but can give higher top speed. Wye configuration gives high torque at low speed, but not as high top speed. The wye winding

954-412: Is greatest in the no-load and low-load regions of the motor's performance curve. Environments and requirements in which manufacturers use brushless-type DC motors include maintenance-free operation, high speeds, and operation where sparking is hazardous (i.e. explosive environments) or could affect electronically sensitive equipment. The construction of a brushless motor resembles a stepper motor , but

1007-489: Is limited only by the lifetime of their bearings . Brushed DC motors develop a maximum torque when stationary, linearly decreasing as velocity increases. Some limitations of brushed motors can be overcome by brushless motors; they include higher efficiency and lower susceptibility to mechanical wear. These benefits come at the cost of potentially less rugged, more complex, and more expensive control electronics. A typical brushless motor has permanent magnets that rotate around

1060-406: Is normally more efficient. Delta-connected windings can allow high-frequency parasitic electrical currents to circulate entirely within the motor. A Wye-connected winding does not contain a closed loop in which parasitic currents can flow, preventing such losses. Aside from the higher impedance of the wye configuration, from a controller standpoint, the two winding configurations can be treated exactly

1113-570: Is surrounded by the stator), or axial (the rotor and stator are flat and parallel). The advantages of a brushless motor over brushed motors are high power-to-weight ratio, high speed, nearly instantaneous control of speed (rpm) and torque, high efficiency, and low maintenance. Brushless motors find applications in such places as computer peripherals (disk drives, printers), hand-held power tools, and vehicles ranging from model aircraft to automobiles. In modern washing machines, brushless DC motors have allowed replacement of rubber belts and gearboxes by

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1166-475: Is that they can produce linear motion without the need of a transmission system, such as ballscrews , leadscrew , rack-and-pinion , cam , gears or belts, that would be necessary for rotary motors. Transmission systems are known to introduce less responsiveness and reduced accuracy. Direct drive, brushless DC linear motors consist of a slotted stator with magnetic teeth and a moving actuator, which has permanent magnets and coil windings. To obtain linear motion,

1219-475: The ABC News morning program Good Morning America , with the first units delivered to customers in early 2002. The original Segway PT models featured three speed settings: 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h), 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) with faster turning, and 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Steering of early versions was controlled using a twist grip that varied the speeds of the two motors. The range of

1272-637: The Themed Entertainment Association . In October 2016, the Muppet Mobile Lab returned to Epcot. Segway PT A Segway is a two-wheeled , self-balancing personal transporter device invented by Dean Kamen . It is a registered trademark of Segway Inc . It was brought to market in 2001 as the Segway HT , and then subsequently as the Segway PT. HT is an initialism for "human transporter" and PT for "personal transporter." Ninebot,

1325-514: The U.S. International Trade Commission agreed to investigate Segway Inc.'s claim that Ninebot and other companies were infringing on its patents and copyrights. Segway Inc. requested the blocking of imports of competing scooters into the United States. In June 2016, Segway Inc. launched the Segway miniPRO, a smaller self-balancing scooter . Only 140,000 units were sold during the lifetime of

1378-610: The iBOT , a self-balancing wheelchair). The maximum speed of the Segway PT is 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 km/h). The product is capable of covering 24 miles (39 km) on a fully charged lithium-ion battery , depending on terrain, riding style, and the condition of the batteries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have Segway-specific recommendations but does say that bicycle helmets are adequate for "low-speed, motor-assisted" scooters. Brushless DC electric motor A brushless DC electric motor ( BLDC ), also known as an electronically commutated motor ,

1431-442: The Segway PT are similar to a classic control problem, the inverted pendulum . It uses brushless DC electric motors in each wheel powered by lithium-ion batteries with balance achieved using tilt sensors , and gyroscopic sensors developed by BAE Systems ' Advanced Technology Centre . In 2011, the Segway i2 was being marketed to the emergency medical services community. In 2018, the police of Stockholm adopted Segway i2 as

1484-547: The Segway has remained popular for security and tourism, electric scooters have been more popular for personal mobility. In February 2022, Segway entered the UTV ( Utility Terrain Vehicle ) market. At the end of production in 2020, Segway Inc. was selling these five self-balancing scooters: ATV: AT5 S, AT5 L, AT6 S, AT6 L UTV: UT10, UT10 Crew SSV (SxS): SX10 - E, SX10 - X, SX10 - WIDE, SX20 - TURBO, SX20 - HYBRID The dynamics of

1537-464: The application, resulting in greater commutation efficiency. The maximum power that can be applied to a brushless motor is limited almost exclusively by heat; too much heat weakens the magnets and damages the windings' insulation. When converting electricity into mechanical power, brushless motors are more efficient than brushed motors primarily due to the absence of brushes, which reduces mechanical energy loss due to friction. The enhanced efficiency

1590-464: The brush commutator contacts. An electronic sensor detects the angle of the rotor and controls semiconductor switches such as transistors that switch current through the windings, either reversing the direction of the current or, in some motors turning it off, at the correct angle so the electromagnets create torque in one direction. The elimination of the sliding contact allows brushless motors to have less friction and longer life; their working life

1643-1008: The built-in microprocessor continuous control over cooling and airflow. The application of brushless DC motors within industrial engineering primarily focuses on manufacturing engineering or industrial automation design. Brushless motors are ideally suited for manufacturing applications because of their high power density, good speed-torque characteristics, high efficiency, wide speed ranges and low maintenance. The most common uses of brushless DC motors in industrial engineering are motion control , linear actuators , servomotors , actuators for industrial robots, extruder drive motors and feed drives for CNC machine tools. Brushless motors are commonly used as pump, fan and spindle drives in adjustable or variable speed applications as they are capable of developing high torque with good speed response. In addition, they can be easily automated for remote control. Due to their construction, they have good thermal characteristics and high energy efficiency . To obtain

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1696-485: The commutator, and an overall reduction of electromagnetic interference (EMI). With no windings on the rotor, they are not subjected to centrifugal forces, and because the windings are supported by the housing, they can be cooled by conduction, requiring no airflow inside the motor for cooling. This in turn means that the motor's internals can be entirely enclosed and protected from dirt or other foreign matter. Brushless motor commutation can be implemented in software using

1749-450: The commutator, making sliding electrical contact with successive segments as the rotor turns. The brushes selectively provide electric current to the windings. As the rotor rotates, the commutator selects different windings and the directional current is applied to a given winding such that the rotor's magnetic field remains misaligned with the stator and creates a torque in one direction. The brush commutator has disadvantages that has led to

1802-427: The controller implements the traditional brushes' functionality, it needs to know the rotor's orientation relative to the stator coils. This is automatic in a brushed motor due to the fixed geometry of the rotor shaft and brushes. Some designs use Hall effect sensors or a rotary encoder to directly measure the rotor's position. Others measure the back-EMF in the undriven coils to infer the rotor position, eliminating

1855-454: The conventional inrunner configuration, the permanent magnets are part of the rotor. Three stator windings surround the rotor. In the external-rotor outrunner configuration, the radial relationship between the coils and magnets is reversed; the stator coils form the center (core) of the motor, while the permanent magnets spin within an overhanging rotor that surrounds the core. Outrunners typically have more poles, set up in triplets to maintain

1908-506: The development of the project. The project began as a continuation of Disney's "Living Character Initiative", a program that has generated other interactive shows at Disney theme parks including Lucky the Dinosaur , Turtle Talk with Crush , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor , and Stitch Encounter . In 2009, the attraction was honored with the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Technical) from

1961-449: The fields based on the position of the rotor is called a commutator . In brushed motors this is done with a rotary switch on the motor's shaft called a commutator. It consists of a rotating cylinder or disc divided into multiple metal contact segments on the rotor. The segments are connected to conductor windings on the rotor. Two or more stationary contacts called brushes , made of a soft conductor such as graphite , press against

2014-427: The handlebars to the right or left, had a maximum speed of 12.5 mph (20.1 km/h) from a pair of two-horsepower (1.5 kW) Brushless DC electric motors with regenerative braking and a range of up to 15–25 mi (24–40 km), depending on terrain, riding style, and state of the batteries. Recharging took eight to ten hours. The i2 and x2 also introduced the wireless InfoKey which could show mileage and

2067-575: The hype before the product was released. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that it was "as big a deal as the PC", (he later expressed a negative opinion, saying that it "sucked", presumably referring to "the design" – but also referred to the (presumably high) price point, asking, "You're sure your market is upscale consumers for transportation?") The device was unveiled on 3 December 2001, following months of public speculation, in Bryant Park , New York City , on

2120-571: The increased efficiency of the motor leads to longer periods of use before the battery needs to be charged. Low speed, low power brushless motors are used in direct-drive turntables for gramophone records . Brushless motors can also be found in marine applications, such as underwater thrusters . Drones also utilize brushless motors to elevate their performance . Brushless motors are found in electric vehicles , hybrid vehicles , personal transporters , and electric aircraft . Most electric bicycles use brushless motors that are sometimes built into

2173-560: The market for electric-powered model flight, displacing virtually all brushed electric motors, except for low powered inexpensive often toy grade aircraft. They have also encouraged growth of simple, lightweight electric model aircraft, rather than the previous internal combustion engines powering larger and heavier models. The increased power-to-weight ratio of modern batteries and brushless motors allows models to ascend vertically, rather than climb gradually. The low noise and lack of mass compared to small glow fuel internal combustion engines

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2226-410: The mechanical commutator (brushes) used in many conventional electric motors. The construction of a brushless motor system is typically similar to a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), but can also be a switched reluctance motor , or an induction (asynchronous) motor . They may also use neodymium magnets and be outrunners (the stator is surrounded by the rotor), inrunners (the rotor

2279-421: The motor to run backwards briefly, adding even more complexity to the startup sequence. Other sensorless controllers are capable of measuring winding saturation caused by the position of the magnets to infer the rotor position. A typical controller contains three polarity-reversible outputs controlled by a logic circuit. Simple controllers employ comparators working from the orientation sensors to determine when

2332-406: The motors have important differences in implementation and operation. While stepper motors are frequently stopped with the rotor in a defined angular position, a brushless motor is usually intended to produce continuous rotation. Both motor types may have a rotor position sensor for internal feedback. Both a stepper motor and a well-designed brushless motor can hold finite torque at zero RPM. Because

2385-422: The need for separate Hall effect sensors. These are therefore often called sensorless controllers. Controllers that sense rotor position based on back-EMF have extra challenges in initiating motion because no back-EMF is produced when the rotor is stationary. This is usually accomplished by beginning rotation from an arbitrary phase, and then skipping to the correct phase if it is found to be wrong. This can cause

2438-641: The output phase should be advanced. More advanced controllers employ a microcontroller to manage acceleration, control motor speed and fine-tune efficiency. Two key performance parameters of brushless DC motors are the motor constants K T {\displaystyle K_{T}} (torque constant) and K e {\displaystyle K_{e}} (back-EMF constant, also known as speed constant K V = 1 K e {\displaystyle K_{V}={1 \over K_{e}}} ). Brushless motors can be constructed in several different physical configurations. In

2491-476: The p-Series was 6–10 miles (9.7–16.1 km) on a fully charged nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery with a recharge time of four to six hours. In September 2003, the Segway PT was recalled, because if users ignored repeated low-battery warnings on the PTs, it could ultimately lead them to fall. In August 2006, Segway Inc. discontinued all previous models and introduced the i2 and x2 products, which were steered by leaning

2544-451: The product, and in the later years the Segway PT only made up 1.5% of total company profit. Factors contributing to the end of production include the price (US$ 5,000 at launch), and the learning curve in learning to balance on a Segway PT which has led to notable accidents involving Usain Bolt , George W. Bush , Ellen DeGeneres , Ian Healy , and Segway Inc. previous owner Jimi Heselden . While

2597-500: The same. Brushless motors fulfill many functions originally performed by brushed DC motors, but cost and control complexity prevents brushless motors from replacing brushed motors completely in the lowest-cost areas. Nevertheless, brushless motors have come to dominate many applications, particularly devices such as computer hard drives and CD/DVD players. Small cooling fans in electronic equipment are powered exclusively by brushless motors. They can be found in cordless power tools where

2650-399: The special effects aboard the vehicle are controlled remotely by puppeteers, thanks to an advanced control system that allows the controllers to be located up to several miles away from the show location. On-board cameras, microphones and speakers allow the puppeteers to see and hear guests and interact with them. Muppet performers Dave Goelz (Bunsen) and Steve Whitmire (Beaker) assisted in

2703-406: The three groups of windings, and have a higher torque at low RPMs. In the flat axial flux type , used where there are space or shape constraints, stator and rotor plates are mounted face to face. In all brushless motors, the coils are stationary. There are two common electrical winding configurations; the delta configuration connects three windings to each other in a triangle-like circuit, and power

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2756-658: The wheel hub itself, with the stator fixed solidly to the axle and the magnets attached to and rotating with the wheel. The same principle is applied in self-balancing scooter wheels. Most electrically powered radio-controlled models use brushless motors because of their high efficiency. Brushless motors are found in many modern cordless tools, including some string trimmers , leaf blowers , saws ( circular and reciprocating ), and drills / drivers . The weight and efficiency advantages of brushless over brushed motors are more important to handheld, battery-powered tools than to large, stationary tools plugged into an AC outlet. There

2809-599: Was filed in 1994 and granted in 1997, followed by others, including one submitted in June 1999 and granted in October 2001. Prior to its introduction, a news report about a proposal for a book about the invention, development, and financing of the Segway PT led to speculation about the device and its importance. John Doerr speculated that it would be more important than the Internet. South Park devoted an episode to making fun of

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