Steer Roping Simulator Leg Gait Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steer roping practice apparatuses fail to accurately simulate the leg gait of a live steer, as they typically cause the simulated steer's leg to only briefly touch the ground surface during movement, making the roping simulation less realistic and easier than actual roping.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical roping steer apparatus with a support assembly, rotatable wheel, and a steer assembly featuring a movable hip and leg structure that maintains the leg in contact with or close proximity to the ground surface, utilizing an actuation assembly to mimic the natural gait of a live steer, ensuring the leg remains engaged with the ground throughout the movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the leg structure is designed to move in a simple arc without ground contact, then the device complexity is reduced, but the realism of the roping simulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leg structure transitions from a static simple arc mechanism to a dynamic system with actuation assembly that actively controls leg movement. The actuation assembly includes motors or actuators that drive the leg through complex motion paths, enabling the leg to maintain contact with the ground surface while moving forward and backward, thereby achieving realistic steer gait simulation without excessive mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
An actuation assembly serves as an intermediary mechanism between the drive system and the leg structure. This intermediary component translates rotational motion from motors into the complex reciprocating motion required for realistic leg gait, mediating between simple mechanical input and complex realistic output while maintaining ground contact
2Reliability
If the leg structure maintains continuous contact with the ground surface, then the roping simulation realism is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation assembly merges multiple functions into a single integrated mechanism. It combines drive motors, transmission components, and leg linkage into one unified assembly that simultaneously achieves ground contact maintenance, forward-backward leg movement, and realistic gait simulation, reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation assembly is designed as a multi-functional component that performs multiple tasks: driving leg motion, maintaining ground contact, enabling reciprocating movement, and simulating realistic gait. This universal design eliminates the need for separate mechanisms for each function, managing complexity through functional integration
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanical roping steer apparatus for practicing roping of a steer may comprise a support assembly for resting on a ground surface, a rotatable wheel configured to contact the ground surface such that movement of the support assembly across the ground rotates the wheel, and a steer assembly connected to the support assembly. The steer assembly may comprise a frame having a spine structure, a hip structure movably mounted on the frame to move between first and second positions, and a leg structure movably mounted on the hip structure to move between forward and rearward positions, and including at least one leg member. The steer assembly may include an actuation assembly may be configured to move the leg member downwardly toward the ground surface during rearward movement of the leg member and move the leg member upwardly during forward movement of the leg member.