▁the ▁wheel ' s ▁center ▁of ▁gravity ▁forward , ▁the ▁wheel ▁turns . ▁Inside ▁is ▁a ▁lead - weight ed ▁engine , ▁which ▁hang s ▁by ▁bear ings ▁off ▁a ▁station ary ▁center ▁sh aft ▁and ▁uses ▁its ▁tor que ▁to ▁move ▁from ▁ 0 ▁degrees ▁vertical ▁when ▁station ary ▁to ▁ 9 0 ▁degrees ▁forward ▁at ▁full ▁bl ast , ▁contin ually ▁pulling ▁itself ▁forward ▁around ▁a ▁s pro cket ▁bol ted ▁to ▁the ▁outer ▁sp okes . ▁An ▁independent ▁counter weight ▁system ▁keeps ▁the ▁driver ▁floating ▁g ently ▁above ▁ground ▁out ▁front , ▁instead ▁of ▁inside ▁the ▁wheel , ▁where ▁most ▁mon ow heel ▁designs ▁se quest er ▁him . ▁Ste ering ▁is ▁handled ▁by ▁a ▁gy ro ▁system ▁and ▁the ▁driver ' s ▁sh ifting ▁weight . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Part - time ▁programmer ▁and ▁Renaissance ▁Fair ▁jou ster ▁J ake ▁Ly all ▁had ▁never ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁gar age , ▁studied ▁engineering , ▁or ▁even ▁held ▁a ▁wel der ▁before ▁he ▁built ▁the ▁R I OT ▁W heel . ▁Ly all ▁spent ▁$ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 9 0 0 ▁hours ▁building ▁a ▁massive ▁ 1 , 1 0 0 - p ound ▁motor ized ▁mon ow heel . ▁The ▁R I OT ▁W heel ▁( which ▁stands ▁for ▁Rein vention ▁of ▁the ▁W heel ) ▁reaches ▁a ▁top ▁speed ▁of ▁about ▁ 2 8 ▁m ph . ▁So ▁far ▁Ly all ▁has ▁no ▁commercial ▁designs ▁on ▁the ▁project , ▁which ▁deb uted ▁at ▁ 2