Monocycle/monowheel senior project

[TyloBabe]

Hello fellow engineers!

I am a senior in high school and in love with everything science/math/engineering related. Starting within the next few weeks or so is the Senior project that everybody has to complete on any project of their choice. It's always been my dream to build a simple monocycle, one that's just powered by pedaling from a typical bicycle or something of that sort.

My main question is, do you think this might be too difficult of project for me to do?

I have no welding equipment myself, but am familiar with welding from my metals class. Obviously I would need to practice quite a bit to be decent enough for something like this, and i would need to find a mentor and rent my own equipment.

The project has to consist of a minimum of 14 hours of actual building, and there is no maximum limit, other than it is due on april 3rd (2 months available to work on it).

My basic plan at this point is to take a child's bicycle and remove the front and back, or possibly just one of the wheels (both of the rubber tires). This would leave me with a seat, handle bars, pedals, and gears. If I left one of the wheels on, I would also already have a chain and ballbearing. I would then need to construct a wheel with cogs that would fit into the larger wheel. All I would have to do is cut out and weld this part, using the same fittings that the original bike used.

This is where I think it would get hard. I would need to either buy or build a large metal wheel, and somehow weld the receiving end of the cogs all around the inside (or possibly weld in a very long bicycle chain). In addition to this, I would imagine it would need some secondary wheels sprouting out from the side for extra stabalization. Here's a basic picture of classic monocycle that has inspired a lot of the design:

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/MOTORWHL/1stmonocycle.jpg

As you can see, the secondary wheels I'm talking about are the two smaller ones, one on the back and one on the front. This cycle doesn't appear to implement cogs or gears, but it seems like it would be easier to include them.

So.. what do you think? Is it too hard for an inexperienced engineer in such a limited timeframe (considering the vast amount of homework I have on daily basis already)? I guess if I had to I could learn a musical instrument like everyone else haha.

Any feedback would be great. Thanks!

 

[Achy47]

Dear fellow engineer,

First of all, I want to say that it's great to hear about your passion for science, math, and engineering! Your idea for building a monocycle for your senior project sounds like a challenging and exciting project.

As for your question about whether it may be too difficult for you to do, I believe that with the right planning, resources, and determination, you can definitely make it happen. It's important to have a clear plan and timeline for your project, and it seems like you already have a good idea of what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Since you mentioned not having welding equipment yourself, it would be a good idea to find a mentor who can guide you through the welding process and provide access to equipment. You could also consider reaching out to local makerspaces or fabrication shops for assistance.

In terms of the timeframe, I would suggest breaking down your project into smaller, manageable tasks and setting realistic goals for each week. This way, you can ensure that you are making progress and not feeling overwhelmed with the workload.

As for including cogs and gears in your design, it may add an extra level of complexity, but it could also make your project more unique and interesting. It's important to consider the trade-offs and decide if it's something you are willing to take on.

Overall, I believe that with hard work and dedication, you can definitely build a simple monocycle for your senior project. It may be challenging, but it will also be a valuable learning experience and a great way to showcase your passion for engineering. Best of luck to you!