You can not steer a bicycle in the zero gravity state when riding a bicycle "Bricycle" that can cancel the influence of gravity

There are many people who remember thinking that "When you do not have gravity if you do not have gravity ... ..." when you recall the childhood when you started training to ride a bicycle. Everyone should think that the bicycle is difficult due to gravity, but in reality it is understood that the bike can run properly because there is gravity is unraveled in an experiment using a special bicycle I will.

The 'bricycle' dilemma - to steer or balance?
https://phys.org/news/2014-03-bricycle-dilemma-.html

This research was conducted by Cornell University's research team creating a special "bicycle that will not be mossed by gravity". The actual running scene can be seen in the following movie.

A bicycle in zero gravity is unrideable (The bricycle). - YouTube


The research team at Cornell University used for experiments is a bicycle called "Bricycle". Both characters are taken as "Bricycle" by having features of both "Bicycle" of motorcycle and "Tricycle" of Miwa.


Bricycle is a special bicycle with three rear wheels. Each wheel is connected by a link mechanism so that it always keeps the same slope. It is possible to change this link part to a state where the whole part is fixed as a gashi and a state where it is completely free.


If you push it a little from the side, you can see how the three wheels tilt while keeping parallel.


In addition, a spring is attached in the center, so that it can be balanced so as not to fall down even if you tilt the car body in the free state.


When a person rides and tilts the car body, it does not cause mosses mysteriously, and the force trying to keep that angle works. By using this mechanism, we will reproduce the zero gravity condition on the ground.


The state of the experiment started. First of all it is a regular bicycle ride.


A woman riding a very ordinary bicycle passes through the pylon. This is nothing but an ordinary appearance.


Next, run by Bricycle. First of all, I will run in the "bike mode (bicycle mode)" which made the link of the rear wheel free.


Bikycle who put in the motorcycle mode falls when you tilt the car body like this. That is, it is in the state that it is affected by gravity.


When running in bike mode, I cleared the pylon while tilting the car like a normal bicycle.


Next is "Tricycle Mode".


The link of the rear wheel is fixed, and the state where the car body does not tilt at all is created.


Bricycle in this state cleared the pylon with the car body standing upright.


Finally, running with zero-gravity Bricycle. As mentioned earlier, Bricycle in the zero gravity mode applies the force of the spring so as to cancel the gravity on the car body. Therefore, even if you tilt the car body, trying to keep that angle will neither rise nor rise.


A woman riding Bricycle started. I approached the pylon and thought whether to bend by tilting the car body ... ...


For some reason straight. At this time, you can see that the car body is tilted to the opposite side of the curve.


A woman who does not turn as it is and runs in a straight line.


I thought "Is it a problem of getting used?", But it seems that you can not bend at all even if I tried it many times.


Finally, scenes that lose balance and lose their feet. Anyhow, it seems that you can not run as I thought.


Even if a male who seems to be strong trying to say something to power. Bricycle was just going straight ahead.


When the bicycle turns the curve, the manipulating person unconsciously first steers the handleThe direction opposite to the curveIt is said that it cuts only a little. By doing so, the bicycle that delicately balanced the balance is in the opposite direction to the one that cut the handle, that isThe car body tilts to the curve side. Then the handle will be bent slightly to the curve side by the force generated by the geometry such as the angle (caster angle) attached to the handle shaft of the front wheel and the grounding point of the wheel. And in this state, the cutting angle of the steering wheel, the centrifugal force, and the force of gravity are in a state of antagonism, so that the bicycle can bend the curve without collapsing.


You can understand the mechanism around here by reading the following article.

Explain why bicycles can keep running without collapsing, and explain their mechanism with animation - GIGAZINE


In this way, it proved that people can manipulate thinking of bicycles in reality because of gravity. It seems quite strange that we can not ride a bicycle without gravity which seems even an obstacle, but this is the reality of physics.


The results of this research can be reflected in the vehicle operation method in the microgravity space. There is a possibility that it can be used also in the future such as Mars exploration.