Adaptive nonlinear control using RBFNN for an electric unicycle

This paper presents an adaptive nonlinear control using radial-basis-function neural network (RBFNN) for an electric unicycle. A mechatronic system structure of the unicycle is constructed and its simplified mathematical modeling is then established by using Newtonian mechanics and incorporating the frictions between the wheel and the terrain surface. An adaptive nonlinear control together with RBFNN is developed based on adaptive backstepping technique, in order to simultaneously achieve self-balancing and forward motion. Simulation results are conducted to illustrate feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control method. The performance and merit of the proposed method are well exemplified by real riding test.