Multi-axis Motorized Wheel with Segmented Drive Pods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-axis wheels lack independent control, limiting the maneuverability of vehicles as they can only move in specific directions and are prone to wheel scrub, which causes damage on sensitive surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of independently controlled wild swerve drive pods with multiple motors and gears within each wheel, allowing for independent forward/reverse and rotational movement, enabling vehicles to move in various directions such as forward, backward, rotate left, rotate right, strafing left, and strafing right without external motor control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-axis wheels are used, then the vehicle structure is simple, but the maneuverability is limited and wheel scrub occurs causing surface damage
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into independent drive pods, each capable of independent multi-axis rotation. Each drive pod contains its own motor assembly and rotation mechanism, allowing individual control of each wheel's orientation and rotation. This segmentation enables the vehicle to achieve complex maneuvers like strafing and in-place rotation without requiring a complex centralized control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive pods are designed with dynamic rotation capabilities around multiple axes. Each drive pod can rotate dynamically during operation to change the wheel's orientation mid-motion, enabling the vehicle to adapt its movement direction in real-time. This dynamic adjustment eliminates wheel scrub by allowing wheels to rotate freely rather than being constrained to fixed orientations.
2Reliability
If conventional treads are used, then all-terrain traction is improved, but turning efficiency decreases and surface damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The drive pods enable dynamic turning by allowing each wheel to rotate independently around its axis while maintaining ground contact. This dynamic rotation capability provides efficient in-place turning without the skid steer motion required by conventional treads, significantly improving turning efficiency while maintaining reliable traction on various surfaces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Ackerman steering is used, then differential turning is improved, but in-place rotation capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the wheel system into independently controlled drive pods, each wheel can execute different rotation commands simultaneously. This allows the vehicle to perform in-place rotation by having opposite wheels rotate in opposite directions, while still maintaining the ability to perform differential turning when needed, thus providing versatile turning capability including in-place rotation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A robotic device includes a drive pod (100, 200, 300, 402) defined between multiple wheels (210, 404) coupled to an axle of the drive pod. The robotic device further includes a single mounting shaft coupled to the drive pod and configured to couple the drive pod with a body of the robotic device. The robotic device also includes multiple first motors (102, 106) defined within the drive pod and configured to control multiple first drive gears coupled to a drive shaft gear of the drive pod. The robotic device still further includes a second motor (104) defined within the drive pod and configured to control a second drive gear coupled to a carousel gear of the drive pod.