A transportation vehicle for transporting an individual over ground having a
surface
that may be irregular. The vehicle has a support platform for supporting the subject
and the support platform is coupled to a ground-contacting module at a pivot. While
the ground-contacting module may be statically stable, balance of the support platform
with respect to the ground-contacting module is maintained by motion of the ground-contacting
module in response to leaning of the support platform. A motorized drive coupled
to the ground-contacting module causes locomotion of the vehicle and the subject
therewith over the surface, while a control loop, in which the motorized drive
is included, dynamically enhances stability in the fore-aft plane by operation
of the motorized drive in connection with the ground-contacting module. In the
event of failure of the control loop, the pivot connection of the support platform
to the ground-contacting module may be locked, thereby ensuring stability of the
static assembly.