Reconfigurable Wing Wheel Device for Obstacle Negotiation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wheel devices are limited in their directional movement and struggle to easily navigate narrow spaces and obstacles, particularly stairs, due to insufficient frictional force, which leads to slipping issues.
Innovation Solution
A wheel device with rotating wing members and a braking system that allows for directional flexibility and increased friction, featuring wing members that can change positions to form a circle or extend away from the central axis, along with a braking mechanism using rollers and a brake pad to manage friction and prevent slipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wheel device uses a conventional fixed structure, then the structure is simple, but the movement direction is limited and it cannot easily pass obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel device is divided into multiple independent wing members (at least three) that can rotate relative to each other around the central axis. Each wing member can be independently positioned to change the overall shape of the wheel, enabling directional control and obstacle negotiation without requiring a completely complex reconfigurable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing members are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, allowing them to rotate between different positions (first position for normal rolling, second position for obstacle negotiation). This dynamic adjustment capability enables the wheel to adapt its shape and movement characteristics based on terrain requirements.
2Reliability
If the wheel device climbs stepped obstacles through structural change, then it can overcome obstacles, but sufficient frictional force is not applied and the wheel slips
Solution Approach 1:
The braking device applies frictional force locally at specific contact points between the brake pad and rollers, rather than relying on distributed friction across the entire wheel surface. This concentrated local friction ensures sufficient gripping force at critical points during obstacle negotiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The braking device is activated in advance before the wheel encounters the obstacle, and the wing members are reconfigured to the second position beforehand. This preliminary action ensures that frictional force is already applied and the wheel is in the optimal configuration for climbing, preventing slip during the critical moment of obstacle contact.
3Force
If the wing members are in the second position for obstacle negotiation, then frictional force is sufficient, but the wheel cannot move freely in all directions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two operational modes: in the first mode, wing members are in the first position allowing free rotational movement for omnidirectional travel; in the second mode, wing members rotate to the second position and the braking device engages to provide friction for obstacle negotiation. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction by ensuring only one constraint is active at a time.
4Force
If the brake pad contacts the rollers continuously, then frictional force is always sufficient, but the wheel cannot rotate freely for directional movement
Solution Approach 1:
The braking device operates periodically rather than continuously - the brake pad engages with the rollers only during obstacle negotiation phases and disengages during normal movement phases. This periodic engagement provides frictional force when needed while allowing free rotation and high-speed movement during non-obstacle conditions.
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
Enables the wheel device to move in all directions and easily pass obstacles by adjusting wing positions and applying sufficient frictional force, enhancing mobility in confined spaces and overcoming stepped obstacles without slipping.
Implementation Method 1
sufficient frictional force may not be applied to the wheel device, and the wheel device may thus slip to have difficulty in climbing over the obstacle
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of rollers provided on the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of wing members, wherein each roller of the plurality of rollers has a rotation axis that is not parallel to the central axis
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel device includes: a plurality of wing members configured to rotate around a central axis, wherein each wing member of the plurality of wing members may include an outer circumferential surface and each wing member of the plurality of wing members is configured to be movable to a first position in which the respective outer circumferential surfaces combine to form a circle, and to a second position in which an end of each outer circumferential surface is rotated away from the central axis of the wheel device; a deforming device configured to move each wing member of the plurality of wing members to the first position or the second position; a plurality of rollers provided on the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the plurality of wing members, wherein each roller of the plurality of rollers has a rotation axis that is not parallel to the central axis; and a braking device including a brake pad configured to contact one or more rollers of the plurality of rollers when the plurality of wing members are in the second position and to separate from the plurality of rollers when the plurality of wing members are in the first position.