The yaw motion (side tilt) imparted by the driver onto the backrest is power-assistedly transferred to steering the front wheels.

Exact angle ratio (backrest:wheels) is determined as the lean required to have the upper body "upright" against the centrifugal force of the turn. (plus a less intuitive system for parking lot speeds)
-- FlyingToaster, Oct 31 2020

Hand-powered Tricycle http://www.douglas-...cle/tricycle.htm#ha
Third item in list. [8th of 7, Oct 31 2020]

Countersteering https://en.wikipedi...ics#Countersteering
Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics [8th of 7, Oct 31 2020]

Steering by leaning is Baked, but probably not WKTE. <link>

Suggested for deletion, not an innovation.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 31 2020


Not sure it should be deleted. First time I ever heard of it.
I see problems though, gravity works and if leaning controls steering then, unless your track is laterally level with no corners, you will constantly fight against random tilts.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 31 2020


Awww, but it's Halloween, my wonderful baking friend, 8thie.
-- blissmiss, Oct 31 2020


You've been at the ol' metal polish again, ain't you [bliss] ?

// you will constantly fight against random tilts. //

Motorbikes steer mostly by leaning, not by turning the front wheel. In fact, at higher speeds, countersteering is equally if not more effective.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 31 2020


//Motorbikes steer mostly by leaning//

That's different. You lean the entire machine so gyro forces apply to the whole system. 'You' included.
This idea and the third image in your link use a leaning control 'device' to steer the whole system.
So what happens if tilt or g-forces cause you to control steering simply because you are connected to the leaning mechanism and can't control your own leaning?

Bad stuff happens.

With a motorcycle there's a tactile feel to when tilt will overcome grip.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 31 2020


1: I have seen (and used) a tilt-steered pedal-powered catamaran. Tilt control worked OK, but of course it's a relatively low-speed application.
2: Remember you need to have something to tilt against (handgrips in the catamarans case) which means those parts aren't doing much else. As per [2 fries shy of a happy meal], and because a car doesn't lean like a motorbike, g-forces will mean unexpected leans could happen.
<Aside> A friend of mine (also a mechanical engineer) did a science fair project on this very thing: the difference between the forces & motions etc when cars & bikes turn. </aside>
-- neutrinos_shadow, Nov 01 2020


Stilt steering would be a better idea. You could stand up on the stilts in the sunroof with the ends of them threaded through the spokes on the steering wheel. I nominate chicken little 8th to test drive the prototype, at high speed along a cliff edge of course.
-- xenzag, Nov 01 2020


//Motorbikes steer mostly by leaning, not by turning the front wheel. In fact, at higher speeds, countersteering is equally if not more effective.//

I won't say that you are factually wrong; but it seems that you are making an arbitrary distinction. It's a bit like:

Q. Where are we?

A. We're directly above the centre of the earth.

A close analogy is turning in an aircraft.

Q. Does an aircraft turn mostly by banking or mostly by rudder control?

A. It's not a very useful distinction; a good turn involves precise coordination of both. If your aircraft has a stable design, you can turn it (badly) using the rudder alone; you can also turn it (badly) using banking alone. Making it roll _causes_ it to yaw; making it yaw _causes_ it to roll; in practice, a good pilot uses all of the controls in a coordinated way to make the 'craft behave nicely.

Likewise, it's possible to steer a motorbike (badly) using leaning alone or (less badly) by using the handlebar alone. Making it lean _causes_ the handlebar to turn; turning the handlebar _causes_ the bike to lean. A good rider uses body mass and the handlebar and the throttle in a coordinated way to make the bike behave nicely.

It could be said that motorbikes turn _entirely_ by leaning, in the sense that the accelleration vector during a stable turn lies in the plane defined by the centre of mass and the two contact patches; the horizontal component represents the centripetal force. It could also be said that motorbikes turn _entirely_ by handlebar steering, in the sense that the rest of the bike usually arrives at the same destination as the front wheel. Again, it's not a very useful distinction.

And technically, all steering in a bicycle or motorbike involves countersteering (of which there are two main factors).
-- spidermother, Nov 01 2020


If fly/ride/drive/pilot by computer wire is common place, a standardized stick of motion might be a good idea. Jane driving CBD rubbish facilitator now can pilot the docking of a failed reentry vehicle.
-- wjt, Nov 06 2020



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