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			{{Short description\|One-wheeled vehicle}}
	].]]
			{{about\|the one-wheeled vehicle called the monowheel or uniwheel\|the acrobatic circus apparatus\|Cyr wheel\|the novel automotive wheel design\|Uni Wheel}}
	A '''monowheel''' is a one-wheeled vehicle similar to a ]. However, instead of sitting above the wheel, the rider sits within it. The wheel is a ring driven by smaller wheels pressing against its inner rim. Pedal-powered monowheels were built in the late ]; most built in the ] have been motorized.
			{{Refimprove\|date=March 2011}}
			], ]]]
			]
			] Motoruota monowheel, modified by Giuseppe Govetosa]]

			A '''monowheel''' or '''uniwheel''' is a type of one-wheeled, ]. Unlike the ], a monowheel consists of a large, hollow wheel that loops above and around the driver. Monowheels are typically powered by an engine as with a ], with a ] securing the steering, driver's seat, and propulsion mechanism to the interior of the wheel.
	Monowheels have never caught on as a mode of transportation, mainly due to difficulties in handling. As there is only one wheel, the rider must lean towards his intended direction of travel to turn, and then recentralise his weight once the turn is complete. Another problem of the Monowheel is that if one ] or ]s too harshly, it is possible that the force applied overcomes the force of gravity keeping the rider at the bottom of the wheel, sending the rider rotating round the inside of the wheel. For example, if the rider brakes too harshly, he may lock the frame and wheel together, thus rotating with the wheel; this can be very dangerous. There are visibility issues too, the rider is always facing the inner rim of the wheel, which can obstruct oncoming hazards.

			Hand-cranked<ref>{{cite book\|last=Goddard\|first=J. T.\|title=The velocipede: its history, varieties, and practice\|year=1869\|publisher=Hurd and Houghton\|location=University of Princeton\|pages=76–78}}</ref> and pedal-powered monowheels were patented<ref>{{Cite patent\|country=US\|number=325548\|pubdate=1885-09-01\|title=One-wheeled vehicle\|inventor1-first=John Otto\|inventor1-last=Lose}}</ref> and built in the late 19th century; most built in the 20th and 21st century have been motorized. Some modern builders refer to these vehicles as '''monocycles''', though that term is also sometimes used to describe motorized unicycles.
	There were many proposals for variants or uses that were even more impractical than the basic vehicle, such as a horse-drawn monowheel or a monowheel ].

			A world speed record for a motorized monowheel was set in 2016, at 98.464 km/h (61.18 mph).<ref>{{cite news\|title=Guinness World Record for bearded woman Harnaam Kaur\|work=BBC News\|date=8 September 2016\|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37305050}}</ref>
	==Appearances in fiction==
	* ]' book '']'' contains a rare instance of a monowheel as an important feature of a fictional work.
	* In the '']'' ]ese ] movie, ], the protagonist of the story uses a ]-powered monowheel early in the movie.
	* Also, in the '']'' ], one of the equipments provided by Gantz to the "players" (but introduced only later in the story) is a very fast kind of motorized monowheel (the Gantz Bike), used to evade the aliens in a mission.
	* A monowheel was used briefly in a scene by ] when battling ] in '']''.
	* The device referred to by the title of the ] episode '']'' is a gyroscope-propelled monowheel with a rather uncomfortable user interface.
	* In the Australian ] show ''Push the Limit'' a monowheel challenge ended in tears when contestant Kate Siopis fractured her wrist.

	==~~External links~~==		==Stability==
			Similar to bicycles, monowheels are stable in the direction of travel, but have limited horizontal stability. This is in contrast to unicycles which are unstable in both directions.<ref name=Bicycles&Tricycles>{{cite web\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cppgYDmsRYC&pg=PA184\|title=Bicycles & Tricycles: An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction, with Examples and Tables\|page=184\|author=Sharp, Archibald\|publisher=]\|via=Longmans, Green, and Co\|language=en-US\|url-status=live\|date=1896\|accessdate=March 28, 2022\|archivedate=March 28, 2022\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328153044/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bicycles_tricycles/0cppgYDmsRYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA184&printsec=frontcover}}</ref> Monowheels have also been found to have a lower speed required for stability when compared to unicycles.<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Bert \|first=Charles W. \|date=1990 \|title=Dynamics and stability of unicycles and monocycles \|journal=Dynamics and Stability of Systems \|volume=5 \|issue=1 \|pages=30–35 \|doi=10.1080/02681119008806081\|via=Taylor & Francis Online}}</ref>

			A monowheel remains upright due to gyroscopic effects, but its lack of stability makes it highly dependent on forward momentum and the balance of the rider,<ref>{{Cite web \|last=George \|first=Patrick E. \|title=How Monowheels Work \|url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/monowheel.htm#pt2 \|access-date=28 March 2022 \|website=How Stuff Works\|date=6 July 2010 }}</ref> who must maintain stability while steering. Over the history of the monowheel, various stability enhancements have been tried such as support struts (Green & Dyer, 1869), skids and propellers (D'Harlingue Propeller-Driven Monowheel, 1914), as well as gyroscopes, fins, and rudders (The McLean V8 Monowheel, 2003).<ref name=SelfSite>{{Cite web \|title=Monowheels: The strange story of vehicles with insufficient wheels\|url=http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm#hd\|website=The Self Side\|language=en-US\|url-status=live\|accessdate=March 29, 2022\|archivedate=January 30, 2011\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130092801/http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm}}</ref> Many riders choose to control stability when at a stop by putting their feet on the ground, similar to bicycles and ].<ref>{{Cite journal \|last=Cardini \|first=S.B. \|date=18 September 2006 \|title=A history of the monocycle stability and control from inside the wheel \|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1700041 \|journal=IEEE Control Systems Magazine \|volume=26 \|issue=5 \|pages=22–26 \|doi=10.1109/MCS.2006.1700041 \|issn=1066-033X}}</ref>
	*
⚫	*

			==Variants and related vehicles==
			There have been many proposals for variants or uses, such as a horse-drawn monowheel<ref name=SelfSite/> or a monowheel ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=In Search of the Perfect Sphere \|url=http://www.tankarchives.ca/2019/05/in-search-of-perfect-sphere.html \|access-date=2022-03-22}}</ref>

			An electric monowheel called ] was tested in 1932 in the ].<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2018-05-10 \|title=The Dynasphere: The Car of the Future that Never Made it to the Future \|url=https://www.weirdhistorian.com/the-dynasphere-the-car-of-the-future-that-never-made-it/ \|access-date=2022-03-22 \|website=Weird Historian \|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Google books\|id=1ScDAAAAMBAJ\|page=63\|title=Popular Science: May 1932}}</ref>

			In 1971, an American inventor named Kerry McLean built his first monocycle (aka monowheel). In 2000, he built a larger version, the McLean Rocket Roadster powered by a Buick V-8 engine, which subsequently crashed in 2001 during the initial test run. McLean survived and proceeded to build over 25 different variations of his version of the monocycle, from pedal powered models, 5HP models, all the way up to V8 powered models.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=McLean's Monocycle Story \|url=https://mcleanmonocycle.com/mclean-monocycle/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325231649/https://mcleanmonocycle.com/mclean-monocycle/ \|archive-date=25 March 2022 \|access-date=25 March 2022 \|website=McLean Monocycle}}</ref> In 2010, Nokia used two of McLean's monocycles in their commercials promoting the new Nokia SatNav smartphone.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Nokia Commercials \|url=https://mcleanmonocycle.com/nokia-commercials/ \|access-date=25 March 2022 \|website=McLean Monocycle}}</ref>

			One variant called a ] was presented at ] in 2003. It involves the passengers sitting in front of the wheel and being balanced by a heavy counterweight inside the wheel. Rather than the typical ring drive, this vehicle is powered through a ] attached to the spokes.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Lyall \|first=Jake \|date=2004 \|title=The R.I.O.T. Wheel \|url=http://www.theriotwheel.com/index.html \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320204819/http://theriotwheel.com/index.html \|archive-date=20 March 2022 \|access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Haney \|first=Mike \|date=15 April 2004 \|title=Reinventing the Wheel \|url=https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2004-04/reinventing-wheel/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323040831/https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2004-04/reinventing-wheel/ \|archive-date=23 March 2022 \|access-date=23 March 2022 \|website=Popular Science}}</ref>

			A company in the Netherlands began taking custom orders for a monocycle variant called the Wheelsurf in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Wheelsurf Shop \|url=https://www.wheelsurf.nl/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323041311/https://www.wheelsurf.nl/ \|archive-date=23 March 2022 \|access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLtgsIIQLGg \|title=The WheelSurf - The Gadget Show \|date=20 Dec 2007 \|type=YouTube Video \|publisher=The Gadget Show}}</ref>

			A related vehicle is the diwheel or the ], in which the rider is suspended between or inside of a pair of large wheels placed side by side.<ref>{{Cite magazine \|date=23 Feb 1901 \|title=The Holson Two-wheeled Electric Vehicle \|url=https://archive.org/details/westernelectrici28chic/page/128/mode/2up \|magazine=Western Electrician \|page=128 \|access-date=25 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=16 Jan 2020 \|title=Dicycles and Diwheels \|url=http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/diwheel/diwheel.htm#otto \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224013808/http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/diwheel/diwheel.htm \|archive-date=24 February 2022 \|access-date=25 March 2022 \|website=The Self Site}}</ref>

			== See also ==
			* {{anl\|Centreless wheel}}
			* {{anl\|Onewheel}}
			* {{anl\|Electric unicycle}}
			* ]

			==References==
			{{reflist}}

			==External links==
			{{commons category\|Monowheels}}
			*
			*"Speedy New Motor-Hoop Amazes Italians", '']'', December 1924, page 40,
			*"Amazing New Motor-Driven Hoop May Be Car of the Future", ''Popular Science'', May 1932, front cover and page 63,
			*"War Tank on One Wheel, Operated by One Man", ''Popular Science'', November 1933, front cover and page 47,
			*
			*
		⚫	*

			{{Human-powered vehicles}}
	{{cycling-stub}}

	]		]

Latest revision as of 11:31, 6 November 2024

One-wheeled vehicle This article is about the one-wheeled vehicle called the monowheel or uniwheel. For the acrobatic circus apparatus, see Cyr wheel. For the novel automotive wheel design, see Uni Wheel.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Monowheel" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A monowheel or uniwheel is a type of one-wheeled, single-track vehicle. Unlike the unicycle, a monowheel consists of a large, hollow wheel that loops above and around the driver. Monowheels are typically powered by an engine as with a motorcycle, with a chassis securing the steering, driver's seat, and propulsion mechanism to the interior of the wheel.

Hand-cranked and pedal-powered monowheels were patented and built in the late 19th century; most built in the 20th and 21st century have been motorized. Some modern builders refer to these vehicles as monocycles, though that term is also sometimes used to describe motorized unicycles.

A world speed record for a motorized monowheel was set in 2016, at 98.464 km/h (61.18 mph).

Stability

Similar to bicycles, monowheels are stable in the direction of travel, but have limited horizontal stability. This is in contrast to unicycles which are unstable in both directions. Monowheels have also been found to have a lower speed required for stability when compared to unicycles.

A monowheel remains upright due to gyroscopic effects, but its lack of stability makes it highly dependent on forward momentum and the balance of the rider, who must maintain stability while steering. Over the history of the monowheel, various stability enhancements have been tried such as support struts (Green & Dyer, 1869), skids and propellers (D'Harlingue Propeller-Driven Monowheel, 1914), as well as gyroscopes, fins, and rudders (The McLean V8 Monowheel, 2003). Many riders choose to control stability when at a stop by putting their feet on the ground, similar to bicycles and motorcycles.

Variants and related vehicles

There have been many proposals for variants or uses, such as a horse-drawn monowheel or a monowheel tank.

An electric monowheel called Dynasphere was tested in 1932 in the United Kingdom.

In 1971, an American inventor named Kerry McLean built his first monocycle (aka monowheel). In 2000, he built a larger version, the McLean Rocket Roadster powered by a Buick V-8 engine, which subsequently crashed in 2001 during the initial test run. McLean survived and proceeded to build over 25 different variations of his version of the monocycle, from pedal powered models, 5HP models, all the way up to V8 powered models. In 2010, Nokia used two of McLean's monocycles in their commercials promoting the new Nokia SatNav smartphone.

One variant called a RIOT wheel was presented at Burning Man in 2003. It involves the passengers sitting in front of the wheel and being balanced by a heavy counterweight inside the wheel. Rather than the typical ring drive, this vehicle is powered through a sprocket attached to the spokes.

A company in the Netherlands began taking custom orders for a monocycle variant called the Wheelsurf in 2007.

A related vehicle is the diwheel or the dicycle, in which the rider is suspended between or inside of a pair of large wheels placed side by side.

References

US 92528, Hemmings, Richard C., "Improvement in velocipede", published 1869-07-13
Goddard, J. T. (1869). The velocipede: its history, varieties, and practice. University of Princeton: Hurd and Houghton. pp. 76–78.
US 325548, Lose, John Otto, "One-wheeled vehicle", published 1885-09-01
"Guinness World Record for bearded woman Harnaam Kaur". BBC News. 8 September 2016.
Sharp, Archibald (1896). "Bicycles & Tricycles: An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction, with Examples and Tables". University of Michigan. p. 184. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via Longmans, Green, and Co.
Bert, Charles W. (1990). "Dynamics and stability of unicycles and monocycles". Dynamics and Stability of Systems. 5 (1): 30–35. doi:10.1080/02681119008806081 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
George, Patrick E. (6 July 2010). "How Monowheels Work". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
^ "Monowheels: The strange story of vehicles with insufficient wheels". The Self Side. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
Cardini, S.B. (18 September 2006). "A history of the monocycle stability and control from inside the wheel". IEEE Control Systems Magazine. 26 (5): 22–26. doi:10.1109/MCS.2006.1700041. ISSN 1066-033X.
"In Search of the Perfect Sphere". Retrieved 2022-03-22.
"The Dynasphere: The Car of the Future that Never Made it to the Future". Weird Historian. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
Popular Science: May 1932, p. 63, at Google Books
"McLean's Monocycle Story". McLean Monocycle. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
"Nokia Commercials". McLean Monocycle. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
Lyall, Jake (2004). "The R.I.O.T. Wheel". Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
Haney, Mike (15 April 2004). "Reinventing the Wheel". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
"Wheelsurf Shop". Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
The WheelSurf - The Gadget Show (YouTube Video). The Gadget Show. 20 Dec 2007.
"The Holson Two-wheeled Electric Vehicle". Western Electrician. 23 Feb 1901. p. 128. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
"Dicycles and Diwheels". The Self Site. 16 Jan 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.

External links

Video of Guinness world speed record
"Speedy New Motor-Hoop Amazes Italians", Popular Science, December 1924, page 40, scanned by Google Books
"Amazing New Motor-Driven Hoop May Be Car of the Future", Popular Science, May 1932, front cover and page 63, scanned by Google Books
"War Tank on One Wheel, Operated by One Man", Popular Science, November 1933, front cover and page 47, scanned by Google Books
Cycle World: Circle Cycle
Impact Lab: History of the World’s Craziest Invention - The Monowheel
Douglas Self's monowheel page

Human-powered transport

Land

Pedal power	29er Bicycle (outline) Bicycle trailer BMX bike Boneshaker Cargo bike City bicycle Cold-weather biking Cruiser bicycle Cycle rickshaw Cyclo-cross bicycle Downhill bike Enduro Fatbike Flat bar road bike Folding bicycle Go-kart Glossary of cycling Hybrid bicycle Motorized bicycle Mountain bike Mountain biking 27.5 Downhill Singletrack Party bike Penny-farthing Porteur bicycle Prone bicycle Quadracycle Recumbent bicycle Road bicycle Roadster Safety bicycle Sociable Small-wheel bicycle Tandem bicycle Touring bicycle Track bicycle Trailer bike Tricycle Unicycle Utility bicycle Velocar Velocipede Velomobile Wheelie bike Cold-weather biking (ice cycle)
Electric motor assist	Electric bicycle Pedelec Motorized bicycle Motorized scooter
Treadle power	Treadle bicycle
Other foot power	Balance bike Dandy horse Kick scooter Kickbike Kicksled Brakeboard Freeboard Freeskates Longboard Skateboard
Hand power	Handcar Handcycle Hobcart Invalid carriage Wheelchair
Row action	Rowing cycle
Pushed/pulled	Baby transport Baggage cart Bath chair Cart Flatbed trolley Hand truck Pulled rickshaw Shopping cart Shopping caddy Stairclimber Stretcher Toy wagon Wheelbarrow Sled
Carried	Litter/sedan chair Scoop stretcher
Weight shifting	Trikke Pogo stick Caster board Snakeboard
Gravity	Gravity racer Billy cart Street luge Snowboard Toboggan Summer toboggan Gravity biking

Water

Hand power	Canoe Kayak Paddleboarding Rowing (fixed seat) Punt
Hand and foot power	Rowing (sliding seat) Rowing (sliding rigger)
Foot power	Hydrocycle Hydrofoil Pedalo

Amphibious

Amphibious cycle

Air

Non-vehicular transport

Foot power	Inline skating skates Roller skating skates Running Stair climbing Walking Stair climbing
Snow and ice	Crampons Ice skates Ski Alpine touring skis Cross-country skis Telemark skis Snowshoes

Latest revision as of 11:31, 6 November 2024

Stability

Variants and related vehicles

See also

References

External links