Hobbyist builds self-balancing omnidirectional unicycle
Self-balancing unicycles are nothing new. However, James Brutton's unicycle can move in all directions.
Maker and Youtuber James Brutton next to his self-balancing omnidirectional unicycle.
(Image: James Bruton (Screenshot))
Hobbyist and Youtuber James Bruton has developed a self-balancing unicycle equipped with a wheel that can move omnidirectionally. The unicycle can therefore also ride sideways. Most of the parts come from the 3D printer.
James Bruton is no stranger to the maker scene. As recently as February 2025, he created an e-bike with two large spheres as wheels that can also move omnidirectionally. The unicycle he has now designed goes one step further in terms of innovation. It can ride forwards, backwards and sideways.
Riding in all directions
The main component of the self-balancing omnidirectional unicycle is a large, slightly wider wheel made from spear wood and components from the 3D printer. An external electric motor drives the internal gears via a belt and the omnidirectional rollers attached to the running surface via another belt. The entire wheel is moved by a second electric motor, also via a belt. This motor is responsible for driving forwards and backwards, and also serves to balance the unicycle.
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The unicycle is controlled by a Teensy 4.0 microcontroller, which determines the position of the unicycle in space via an Internal Measurement Unit (IMU) and controls it so that it can ride in a balanced manner and stand still on the spot. The ODrive motors are controlled via a CAN bus. Lithium-ion batteries from model making are used as the energy source.
However, Bruton had to do a lot of development work before the unicycle worked. The first unicycle he designed was too small and light and could not be balanced well enough, which sometimes led to chaotic movements and even crashes. The working unicycle, on the other hand, has a wheel that measures 460 mm in diameter and is therefore about twice as big as the first model.
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Larger and heavier vehicles are much easier to balance than small and light ones, says Bruton. They simply fall over less quickly due to their inertia.
If you want to recreate the unicycle, you can find instructions with templates of the structural parts for the 3D printer on GitHub.
(olb)
