In this paper, a new single-track vehicle, the Anaconda, is presented and modelled according to a multibody theory. This articulated vehicle begins with a traditional bicycle, called the head module, followed by a succession of so-called pedal modules, each module being connected to the preceding one by a sherical joint. To assess its dynamic behaviour, the model of an Anaconda with two Pedal Modules is simulated under the EasyDyn framework, a multibody library based on the minimal coordinates approach. The simulation of such a vehicle cannot be performed without the riders action, consisting in torques applied on the handlebars. The latter is implemented by controllers designed by optimal control, from the out-of-plane dynamics of the vehicle going straight ahead at 20 km/h. Firstly, two optimal controllers are determined separately for the Head Module alone on one hand, and for the Pedal Module alone on the other hand. They are then implemented on the Anaconda and it appears that the vehicle is stable but that the handling of the pedal modules is delicate. Finally, the difficulty of riding the Anaconda is evaluated through the so-called rideability index, which increases, as expected with the amount of Pedal Modules. (Author/publisher) For this paper, other papers and posters presented at this Symposium see http://bicycle.tudelft.nl/bmd2010/
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