It seems like a miracle how a device can balance on its own despite having only one tire in the center. Almost anything with only a tire isn’t able to maintain its position on its own, but that’s not the case with a onewheel. So, how does onewheel balance Itself?
The device has a self-balancing technique that makes users go wild, and they probably think about how it balances that way.
It’s kind of amazing at first to see a self-balancing device. Still, we’ll tell you how it happens and how you can learn to master this art of slightly changing your position and making the onewheel go where you want.
Let’s begin!
How our body control balances the one wheel
A set of accelerometers and gyroscopes that help the onewheel balance itself. Also, our body control and how we shift the weight make the onewheel balance itself. Let’s look at how this is achieved by different movements.
1. Going forward
For going forward, it’s pretty simple. You must lean forward while pushing your body, but just a little. There are specific sensors in the front pad of a onewheel that you can stimulate by only putting pressure on them.
For this, you only have to use your fingertips. With slight pressure, the accelerometers detect it and make the board balance itself by moving forward.
2. Going backward
When you move opposite to going forward, all you have to do is to shift your body weight backward. This makes the onewheel go backward. This phenomenon shifts the weight, and the onewheel decreases the speed while balancing itself.
It’s essential to change your center of gravity. You can do so by bending down to balance yourself, too, rather than getting into an accident.
3. Going sideways
Moving sideways or while making turns it’s the role of your hips and the way you turn your body. The gyroscopes detect this and help the onewheel to go in that direction where the rider wants.
It’s essential as the rider only has to follow on riding rather than worrying about the balancing part or falling from the onewheel.
This is achieved by a lot of practice, and the self-balancing ability helps people to avoid getting into trouble while making quick turns.
Is it hard to balance a onewheel on your own?
While balancing an electric device seems complicated, it’s quite the opposite. This doesn’t mean that you don’t need any practice. Practice is the key to making yourself comfortable on top of that board.
The first step is to get on and off the board while maintaining balance. The onewheel has a minimal role in this part as it’s not moving, so the accelerometer and gyroscope are not functioning fully.
You have to use a wall, or with the help of a person or friend, you can keep your start and end balanced, making the other parts easy.
Then comes the stance of the person on a onewheel. You’ll be in the position while standing on the onewheel. It is essential to place or legs correctly so that the accelerometer can always detect if you try to put pressure on them or if you want to decrease the speed.
The following steps mentioned above can only be learned by frequent practice. Start balancing the onewheel on flat surfaces, and then you’ll be able to face other challenges.
Another thing to remember is that if you are a beginner, you should wear shoes that provide more grip. This will make you balance on a onewheel easily. Also, avoid riding a onewheel in harsh weather conditions, especially when it’s raining, as the grip can be less.
Benefits of the onewheel balancing itself
It’s a fact that this self-balancing ability of a onewheel has changed the way people now go from one place to another. Here are some of the advantages listed:
- It saves a lot of time as the onewheel quickly adapts to changes and makes you worry less about things other than riding the board
- Accidents or potential falls are minimized due to the onewheel’s self-balancing ability.
- The rider’s focus is solely on the road and not the onewheel. This makes the ride safer for the rider as well as the community.
- Some people feel like they are having a mini-workout while changing their body position a little bit as they move downwards and tilt themselves while making turns.
- The ride is an effort because the accelerometers and gyroscopes perform their functions effectively. It doesn’t make the rider lose their energy, and they feel less tired as most of the work is done by the onewheel itself.
- The onewheel’s lifespan also increases as it’s involved in fewer accidents than it would be, had the rider controlled the balancing ability. The onewheel could then be involved in potential accidents.
All these benefits make the onewheel so popular, which is increasing daily. A device that doesn’t require you to balance itself is a great perk.
Final thoughts:
To conclude, a onewheel can make itself balance, and that takes up quite a task off the rider’s shoulders. It isn’t hard to master the hard of balancing yourself on top, and you can easily do so by practicing.
Always wear protective gear to have safe rides on your onewheel.
