Recently, extensive studies have focused on realizing novel mobility technologies, with special consideration for the aging society. The primary aim of these studies is to establish autonomous driving technology (ADT). Mainly, the objects of ADT are four-wheel motor vehicles, and new technologies are investigated from various viewpoints such as vehicle development and infrastructure improvements. However, ADT for motorcycles has received scant attention. In Japan, the motorcycle mortality rate is approximately quadruple that of four-wheel motor vehicles. Therefore, the design of autonomous motorcycles has become imperative. Furthermore, among the various operation conditions, the low-speed driving mode is the most unstable mode for motorcycles. Thus, autonomously standing up from the parking mode and stability for low-speed driving are very important subjects that should be explored under ADT. To fill this gap, some conventional studies have explored the incorporation of gyro mechanisms (Ouchi, et al., 2015) or counterweights and guide rail in motorcycles (Satoh and Namerikawa, 2006). However, these additional mechanisms often make the motorcycles bigger and heavier. In 2017, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. released MOTOROiD, a motorcycle with self-stabilizing mechanism (Tsuchiya, et al., 2018) (Fig. 1). MOTOROiD has a novel rotary axis, active mass center control system, (AMCES, Fig. 2), and can vary the position of the total center of gravity. For this mechanism, Yamaha designed a control system using the combination of a minor loop proportional-integral-derivative (PID)

This study discusses autonomous standing up from the parking mode and ensuring stability for low-speed driving of a novel motorcycle, named “MOTOROiD”. In 2017, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. released a motorcycle with a self-stabilizing mechanism, “MOTOROiD.” This prototype has a new rotary axis and can vary the position of the total center of gravity. This axis is called AMCES (Active Mass CEnter control System). This paper shows the modeling of MOTOROiD with parameters uncertainties for the control system design. The modeling is performed based on two different methods for established model verification: Lagrange’s equation method and the multibody dynamics. By using the established model, a unified control method for standing up from the parking mode and ensuring stability is designed by using a two-degree-of-freedom control system structure. The effectiveness of the modeling and control system design to the system with the variable parameter is verified by numerical simulations.

More and more mechanical and aerospace engineering departments of Universities and Colleges are adopting Project-Based Learning (PBL). One of the main purposes of PBL programs is the practical understanding of the relationship between classroom lectures on traditional theories, e.g., material mechanics, fluid dynamics, dynamics of machinery, and control engineering, and real phenomena of mechanical systems. Moreover, we need to take the use of recent digital manufacturing (e.g., 3D printers, CAD/CAM, and CAE) into account as recent educational content and methods. This paper introduces a novel trial of using PBL at Nagoya University. More specifically, the new program provides students with the experience of producing flying robots and introduces the above relationship and digital manufacturing.

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