From: "Nick Schade" <schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com> > This also assumes the gyro spins around a vertical axis. This is not > necessary for stabilization. You could also mount the gyro on a > transverse (side to side) axis. In this case if a wave comes along > from the front it would not cause any procession problem. A tipping > force from the side would try to force the boat to turn. And any > turning force would tend to make it tip. It would also make the kayak more difficult to turn. Sea kayaks are are already difficult to turn, so that might not be the best choice. Gyros stabilize in two dimensions, so you can choose: roll+yaw (transverse axis), roll+pitch (vertical axis) or pitch+yaw (longitudinal axis). But it also couples the two axes. Choosing two axes will over-stabilize one (and over- couple): transverse + longitudinal = roll+pitch + pitch+yaw = roll + yaw + 2pitch, which overstabilizes pitch. Induced pitching moments will affect both roll and yaw. All three axes balances the stabilization completely, but that makes the kayak difficult to rotate about any axis (hence the reason such arrangements are used in inertial guidance systems). This would make a good photography platform but a poor playboat. This is an interesting exercise for a high school student. Mike PS - In my previous post, my estimation of the pitch causing roll to port is wrong. It would roll to starboard. Oh, well - never trust your fingers at 1 am. I used my right hand to model the gyro and then determined the roll using my _left_ hand, doh! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Feb 01 2002 - 09:48:08 PST
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