Adjustable Wheel Base Traveling Apparatus with Concentric Arc Steering Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal mobility vehicles with adjustable wheel base lengths lack stability and precise turning capabilities, especially in narrow spaces, due to varying turning tracks that do not align with the user's intentions.
Innovation Solution
A traveling apparatus with a front wheel steered by the user and independently rotating rear wheels, featuring an adjusting mechanism to change the wheel base length and a controller that adjusts the rotational speed of the rear wheels based on the wheel base length and steering angle, ensuring the front and rear wheels move in a concentric arc, maintaining stability and maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wheel base length is adjusted to improve maneuverability in narrow spaces, then the turning capability is improved, but the stability at high speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel base length is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The adjusting mechanism allows the user to change the distance between front and rear wheels based on operational needs, enabling short wheel base for narrow space maneuverability and long wheel base for high speed stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of wheel base length is changed to resolve the contradiction. By adjusting this parameter, the vehicle can optimize its performance characteristics - shorter wheel base improves turning capability while longer wheel base enhances stability at high speed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wheel base length is adjusted, then the turning track varies, but the user cannot turn as desired due to lack of control
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism provides feedback control by sensing the wheel base length and steering angle, then automatically adjusting the rotational speeds of left and right rear wheels to achieve the desired turning track. This closed-loop control ensures the vehicle turns precisely as the user intends despite wheel base adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical control system is replaced with an automated control mechanism that uses sensors and actuators. Instead of manual mechanical adjustment, the system electronically controls the rotational speeds of rear wheels based on detected wheel base length and steering angle, providing precise turning control.
3Ease of operation
If the front wheel is steered independently, then the maneuverability is improved, but the unstable operation occurs when front and rear wheels move in different directions
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism continuously monitors the steering angle of the front wheel and the rotational speeds of rear wheels, then adjusts the rear wheel speeds to maintain coordinated motion. This feedback control prevents unstable operations by ensuring the rear wheels move in harmony with the front wheel direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies asymmetric control to the left and right rear wheels, rotating them at different speeds based on the steering angle and wheel base length. This asymmetric rotational speed control allows the vehicle to turn smoothly while maintaining stability, with each rear wheel contributing differently to the overall turning motion.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a traveling apparatus including a front wheel steered by an operation by a user and two rear wheels that are rotationally driven independently from each other disposed along a traveling direction and on which the user rides when traveling, the traveling apparatus including: a front wheel supporting member; a rear wheel supporting member; an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a wheel base length between the front wheel and the rear wheels by changing, by the user, a relative position of the front wheel supporting member and the rear wheel supporting member; and a controller configured to control a rotational speed of each of the rear wheels based on the wheel base length and a steering angle of the front wheel in such a way that a moving track of the front wheel and moving tracks of the rear wheels draw a concentric arc.