Adaptable Magnetic Wheels for Climbing Curved Ferromagnetic Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicles and robotic platforms are impractical for complex manufacturing environments due to their inability to navigate uneven surfaces, poor mobility, low payload capacity, and structural rigidity, necessitating human intervention for tasks like welding and inspection.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with internally rotatable permanent magnets in wheels that passively or actively adjust to maintain magnetic attraction on ferromagnetic surfaces, allowing for adaptable locomotion on 3D objects, including vertical or inverted surfaces, with a suspension system ensuring stability and contact across varying terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional legged robots with electromagnets are used, then magnetic attraction force is achieved, but the robots are designed for near-flat surfaces only and cannot navigate complex curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the magnet orientation adjustable rather than fixed. The magnet can rotate independently within the wheel assembly, allowing it to dynamically adapt its orientation to match the local surface normal of curved or inclined surfaces. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the climbing vehicle to maintain effective magnetic attraction on complex surfaces without requiring complex legged mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional degree of freedom by allowing the magnet to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the wheel rotation axis. This second rotational dimension enables the magnet to orient itself independently of the wheel's rotational position, providing the ability to adapt to surfaces at various angles and curvatures without complicating the overall vehicle structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed orientation magnets are used in wheels, then the structure is simple, but the vehicle cannot maintain magnetic attraction on surfaces at varying angles
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet is configured to rotate passively in response to gravitational and magnetic forces, automatically orienting itself to face the surface normal without requiring active control mechanisms. This self-adjusting behavior allows the magnet to adapt to varying surface angles using only the natural forces present in the environment, eliminating the need for complex actuators or sensors.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional wheeled vehicles are used, then mobility on flat surfaces is good, but payload capacity and structural rigidity are insufficient for manufacturing tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wheel assembly into distinct functional components: the wheel structure for mobility, the independently rotatable magnet for surface adaptation, and the chassis for payload carriage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve both high payload capacity and mobility on complex surfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances mobility, payload capacity, and structural rigidity, enabling efficient navigation of complex ferromagnetic structures like ships and storage tanks, reducing the need for human workers on scaffolds.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic attraction forces have been employed for attraction when the wall material is ferromagnetic
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle may include a chassis, at least one wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis, and a magnet positioning inside of the at least one wheel. The magnet may be rotatably coupled to the wheel with a first shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable about a first axis. In some instances, the magnet may also be coupled to the first shaft with a second shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable relative to the wheel about a second axis. Accordingly, the magnet may have either one or two degrees of freedom of movement within the at least one wheel. The magnet may rotate passively, actively, or semi-actively in one or more directions to provide an attractive force toward a ferromagnetic surface to secure the vehicle to the ferromagnetic surface.