Stepped Omni Wheel Rollers for Stable Motion and Step Climbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Omni wheels experience instability in movement due to the interference between rollers, leading to unstable forward and backward motion, and this instability is exacerbated by the need to maintain a certain distance between adjacent rollers to prevent interference.
Innovation Solution
The design of rollers with a wider portion and a narrower portion forming a step, allowing for a larger diameter without reducing structural strength, and incorporating notches or recesses to prevent interference with the disk assembly or other rollers, thereby enhancing stability and reducing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the distance between adjacent rollers is reduced to improve movement stability, then the movement stability along forward or backward direction is improved, but the interference between rollers and the disk assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is divided into a wider portion and a narrower portion, creating a segmented structure that allows the roller to fit into the space between mounting protrusions while maintaining stability. The narrower portion fits into the gap between adjacent mounting protrusions, enabling reduced spacing without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the roller have different diameters - the wider portion provides structural strength and climbing capability, while the narrower portion enables close spacing by fitting between mounting protrusions. This local variation in geometry resolves the contradiction between stability and interference.
2Strength
If the roller diameter is increased to improve lateral climbing capability, then the lateral climbing capability is improved, but the interference with the disk assembly or other rollers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller's segmented diameter structure allows the wider portion to provide enhanced lateral climbing capability while the narrower portion fits into the available space between mounting protrusions, preventing interference with the disk assembly and adjacent rollers.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller design transitions from a uniform cylindrical shape to a non-uniform shape with varying diameter along its circumference. This dimensional variation allows the roller to occupy different spatial volumes - wider for climbing, narrower for fitting between protrusions - resolving the contradiction between climbing capability and interference.
3Strength
If the roller diameter is increased to improve lateral climbing capability, then the lateral climbing capability is improved, but the material usage and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The roller uses a segmented diameter design where material is concentrated in the wider portion for climbing capability, while the narrower portion uses less material. This strategic material distribution maintains climbing performance while reducing overall material consumption compared to a uniformly large-diameter roller.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller design changes the diameter parameter along the roller's length, creating wider and narrower portions. This parameter variation allows the roller to achieve enhanced climbing capability in critical areas while minimizing material usage in non-critical areas, reducing manufacturing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
An omni wheel including a hub and a roller assembly. The hub includes a disk assembly. The roller assembly includes a plurality of rollers. The plurality of rollers are disposed on the disk assembly. The plurality of rollers each comprise a wider portion and a narrower portion connected to a side of the wider portion so that a step is formed between the wider portion and the narrower portion.