Virtual-wheeled vehicle
First Claim
1. A virtual wheel, said virtual wheel comprising:
- a leg pair, each leg of the pair including a curved foot that contacts the underlying surface as would a wheel, each leg of the pair connected to a common axle; and
at least one actuator for applying motive force to said each leg under the control of a controller programmed for producing areciprocating stepping motion by said leg pair.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual wheel provides a leg pair as a conveyance mechanism for a land vehicle. The virtual wheel propels the vehicle across a surface using a repetitive motion of the legs that contact the ground as would a wheel, due to their geometry. Vehicle embodiments include at least two-, three-, four- and six-wheeled vehicles, both transverse and in-line. Additionally, the invention provides a bipedal walking robot. One embodiment provides a robotic mule—a payload-carrying vehicle. The invention combines the flexible mobility of bipedal vehicles with the stability and functionality of very large-wheeled vehicles. Additionally, a bimodal conveyance mechanism readily converts between walking and rolling modes
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A virtual wheel, said virtual wheel comprising:
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a leg pair, each leg of the pair including a curved foot that contacts the underlying surface as would a wheel, each leg of the pair connected to a common axle; and at least one actuator for applying motive force to said each leg under the control of a controller programmed for producing a reciprocating stepping motion by said leg pair. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification