Omniwheel Assembly with Offset Spherical Rollers for All-Terrain Traversal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional omniwheels struggle to smoothly traverse both smooth and bumpy surfaces due to their asymmetric design, which limits their ability to move in all directions effectively on rough terrain and requires complex fabrication and control.
Innovation Solution
The development of an omnidirectional wheel assembly featuring two or more spherically shaped rollers of equal size, arranged with offset axes and recessed contact surfaces, allowing for omnidirectional movement without smaller diameter rollers that can get stuck on bumps, and providing a more robust and simpler design for all-terrain capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional omniwheels use smaller diameter rollers on the circumference, then omnidirectional movement capability is improved, but the ability to overcome obstacles on bumpy surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel is segmented into multiple independent spherical rollers arranged around the circumference. Each sphere can independently rotate and pivot, allowing the wheel to adapt to surface irregularities while maintaining omnidirectional movement capability. The segmentation allows individual spheres to adjust to bumps and obstacles while others maintain contact with the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional cylindrical rollers with spherical rollers. The spherical shape provides curvature in all directions, enabling the rollers to roll over bumps and obstacles from any direction while maintaining smooth contact with the surface. This spheroidality resolves the contradiction by providing both omnidirectional movement and obstacle-crossing capability through the inherent geometry of spheres.
2Speed
If conventional omniwheels use asymmetric roller arrangement, then forward motion capability is improved, but sideways motion and all-directional traversal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses symmetric spherical rollers arranged uniformly around the wheel circumference, eliminating the asymmetry of conventional omniwheels. This symmetric arrangement ensures equal capability in all directions, allowing the wheel to move forward, backward, sideways, and rotate with equal efficiency, thus achieving true omnidirectional traversal.
Solution Approach 2:
Each spherical roller is designed to perform multiple functions: rolling in the direction of motion, pivoting to change direction, and adapting to surface irregularities. The universal design of the spherical rollers allows the wheel to achieve all-directional traversal capability while maintaining forward motion efficiency, as spheres can roll and pivot equally well in any orientation.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional omniwheels use multiple small rollers, then contact surface smoothness is improved, but fabrication complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses identical spherical rollers throughout the wheel assembly, providing homogeneous contact surfaces that ensure smooth and consistent interaction with the ground. The uniformity of the spheres simplifies manufacturing compared to conventional omniwheels that require precision assembly of different-sized rollers, while the simple spherical geometry makes control more intuitive and less complex.
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
The omnidirectional wheel assembly enables seamless movement in all directions on both planar and bumpy surfaces, overcoming obstacles with ease and reducing friction, while being simpler to fabricate and control, thus enhancing the usability of omnidirectional devices in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
reducing friction
Data Source
AI summary
An omniwheel is presented that may be included with additional omniwheels in a wheel assembly, which can be used in nearly any omnidirectional device such as a robot, a park ride or other vehicle, and the like. The omniwheel includes a wheel support or frame, and a first roller pivotally supported on the wheel support. Further, the omniwheel includes a second roller pivotally supported on the wheel support. The first and second rollers are each generally spherical in shape and have equal outer diameters. The first and second rollers each has a pair of recessed contact surfaces at opposite poles. Each of the first and second rollers is supported in the wheel support for freewheeling about a rotation axis passing through the opposite poles, and the first and second rollers are oriented in the wheel support to have their rotation axes offset relative to each other by an offset angle.