The analysis and simulation of a tethered segway

In this paper we present the design and analysis of a tethered Segway designed for moving over steep surfaces such as dome shaped structures. This robotic platform, inspired from human climbers who use a cable to keep themselves stable on steep surfaces, consists of a simple Segway and a mechanism used to tether the robot to the top of the surface. The mathematical model of the robot is derived using Lagrangian approach and the control is developed based on a state feedback gain. The model consists of a two wheeled inverted pendulum driven by two DC motors. Also there is a DC motor used to control the length of the cable tethering the robot to the top. The control inputs are the voltages applied to each DC motor. The system has been simulated and the results show that the controller can move the robot around while keeping its stability on steep surfaces up to 75 degrees.