Robstep () is a line of two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered

electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes cha ...

s invented by Dongguan Robstep Robot Co., Ltd. of

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

, Dongguan, China. The name "Robstep" is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsSegways The Segway is a two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transporter invented by Dean Kamen and brought to market in 2001 as the Segway HT, subsequently as the Segway PT, and manufactured by Segway Inc. ''HT'' is an initialism for "human transpo ...

. Computers and motors inside of the device keep the Robstep upright when powered on with balancing enabled. A user commands the Robstep to go forward by shifting their weight forward on the platform, and backward by shifting their weight backward. The Robstep detects, as it balances, the change in its

center of mass In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...

, and first establishes and then maintains a corresponding speed, forward or backward.

Gyroscopic sensor A vibrating structure gyroscope, defined by the IEEE as a Coriolis vibratory gyroscope (CVG), is a gyroscope that uses a vibrating structure to determine the rate of rotation. A vibrating structure gyroscope functions much like the halteres of fl ...

s and fluid-based

level sensor Level sensors detect the level of liquids and other fluids and fluidized solids, including slurries, granular materials, and powders that exhibit an upper free surface. Substances that flow become essentially horizontal in their containers ...

s detect the weight shift. To turn, the user presses the handlebar to the left or the right. Robsteps are driven by electric motors and can reach a speed of 9.3 miles per hour (15 km/h). Robsteps are comparable to Segways. They are known as human transporters and personal mobility devices. Some customers use them as a disability device. There are now two different types of batteries fitted on these devices. One is considered a dangerous good for airline travel (lithium ion) and the other type is acceptable (nickel metal hydride). Engineering conversion from one battery type to the other is now available from various after-market engineering firms and the conversion is indicated by an authorized sticker placed adjacent to the name plate on modified units.

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External links

* * (United Kingdom) * (Romania) Personal transporter manufacturers Battery electric vehicles Mobility devices Electric two-wheel vehicles {{electric-vehicle-stub