1. A motorized vehicle for transporting a human over the ground, comprising:
(a) a frame;
(b) a pair of co-axial, laterally opposed wheels rotatably connected with said frame;
(c) a seat connected with said frame for supporting an operator, said seat being mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis;
(d) a sensing device connected with said frame for sensing the rotational position of said seat and for producing an output signal in accordance with said position; and
(e) a control system connected with said wheels and with said sensing device for processing said output signal and for independently controlling the rotation speed of said wheels to dynamically balance the vehicle in fore and aft directions and to steer the in a direction corresponding with the direction of rotation of said seat.
2. A motorized vehicle as defined claim 1, and further comprising a pair of motors connected with said frame and with said pair of wheels respectively, said control system varying the direction and speed of rotation of said motors to control the rotation of the wheels, respectively, to steer the vehicle.
3. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein said sensing device comprises a potentiometer which produces said output signal.
4. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 3, wherein said control system comprises a microprocessor which receives said output signal from said potentiometer and processes said output signal via a steering proportional, integral, derivative control loop to control the direction and speed of rotation of said motors to steer the vehicle.
5. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein said control system further comprises a gyroscope and an accelerometer, each of which produce outputs which are processed by said microprocessor via a pitch proportional, integral, derivative control loop to dynamically balance the vehicle.
6. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 5, and further comprising a spindle having an upper end connected with said seat and at least one bearing connecting a lower end of said spindle with said frame.
7. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 6, and further comprising a centering arm connected with said spindle, said centering arm being arranged perpendicular to said spindle.
8. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 7, and further comprising at least one spring connecting said centering arm with said frame.
9. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said seat is connected with an upper end of said frame and said wheels are connected with a lower end of said frame.
10. A motorized vehicle as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a pair of fenders connected with opposite sides of said frame and extending over said wheels, said fenders serving as footrests for the operator, thereby minimizing the lateral dimension of the vehicle.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electroplating system, comprising:
a reaction tank, having a first diameter, containing a plating solution;
a tube, connected to the reaction tank, comprising an inflow tube and a branch, wherein the inflow tube inputs the plating solution into the reaction tank, and the branch has an enlarged part having the first diameter; and
a video bubble detector, mounted on the enlarged part of the branch, detecting the presence of a bubble in the plating solution flowing through the branch.
2. The electroplating system of claim 1, further comprising a return tank receiving the plating solution overflowing from the reaction tank and returning from the branch.
3. The electroplating system of claim 1, wherein the video bubble detector comprises a charge coupled device (CCD)
4. The electroplating system of claim 1, wherein the reaction tank is used for a copper electroplating process of a semiconductor device.
5. The electroplating system of claim 4, wherein the video bubble detector employs a light source emitting a yellow light.
6. An electroplating system, comprising:
a reaction tank, having a first diameter, comprising a plating solution; and
a video bubble detector, mounted on a sidewall of the reaction tank, detecting the presence of a bubble in the plating solution.
7. The electroplating system of claim 6, further comprising a return tank receiving the plating solution overflowing from the reaction tank.
8. The electroplating system of claim 6, wherein the video bubble detector comprises a CCD.
9. The electroplating system of claim 6, wherein the reaction tank is used for a copper electroplating process for a semiconductor device.
10. The electroplating system of claim 9, wherein the video bubble detector employs a light source emitting a yellow light.
11. An electroplating method, comprising:
providing a reaction tank having a first diameter and containing a plating solution;
providing a tube comprising an inflow tube and a branch, wherein the inflow tube inputs the plating solution into the reaction tank, and the branch has an enlarged part having the first diameter; and
mounting a video bubble detector on the enlarged part of the branch for detecting a bubble existing in the plating solution flowing through the branch.
12. The method of claim 11, further providing a flow controller on the tube for controlling flow rate of the plating solution flowing through the tube.
13. The method of claim 11, further providing a return tank receiving the plating solution overflowing from the reaction tank and returning from the branch.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the video bubble detector comprises a charge coupled device (CCD).
15. A method of claim 11, further performing a copper electroplating process for a semiconductor device.
16. The method of claim 11, further providing a yellow light source for the video bubble detector.
17. An electroplating method, comprising:
providing a reaction tank having a first diameter and containing a plating solution; and
mounting a video bubble detector on a sidewall of the reaction tank, for detecting the presence of a bubble in the plating solution.
18. The method of claim 17, further providing a return tank receiving the plating solution overflowing from the reaction tank.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the video bubble detector comprises a CCD.
20. The method of claim 17, further performing a copper electroplating process for a semiconductor device.
21. The method of claim 17, further providing a yellow light source for the video bubble detector.