Development of Hovering Personal Mobility Device and Its Dynamics

Recent advances in control units and innovations in battery technology have greatly improved the accessibility of personal mobility, also known as personal mobility. However, most of the personal mobility developed to date utilizes motorized wheels as the primary propulsion source. This approach is limited by the fact that the mobility capability of the device is heavily constrained by the road surface conditions. In this paper, we propose a new form of personal mobility to address these issues. We devised an air cushion-based personal mobility to extend the range of personal mobility devices and reduce their dependence on road conditions. This novel mobility system supports the weight of the system and its occupants through air cushions, and it allows for vector control of the direction of propulsion through individual cushions acting independently. This unique structure is able to overcome the road surface constraints faced by motorized wheel-based personal mobility by floating off the ground. This will enable personal mobility to be effectively utilized in a wider range of environments and situations.