Car, walking apparatus, and method of determining shape of wheel

• US 20070257451A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chiba Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Chiba Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Shimizu, Masaharu, Endo, Ken, Shimomura, Masaki, Furuta, Takayuki, Tawara, Tetsuo, Okumura, Yu, Yamato, Hideaki
• Application Number:
  US11/636,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.501
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/14 Vehicles with one wheel only
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/20 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 1/00 Unicycles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car having a leg used by the car for walking, and an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the car.

Claims

1. A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car comprising:

a leg used by the car for walking; and

an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the car.

2. A car according to claim 1,

wherein the attitude stabilization section is a control moment gyro.

3. A car according to claim 2,

wherein the control moment gyro includes a rotatable flywheel,

wherein an axial direction of a rotation axis of the flywheel is along a direction from a contacting portion toward a center portion of the wheel.

4. A car according to claim 2,

having a plurality of the control moment gyros,

wherein the control moment gyro includes the rotatable flywheel,

wherein the axial direction of the rotation axis of the flywheels provided to each of the control moment gyros are different to each other.

5. A car according to claim 2,

wherein the number of the wheel is one.

6. A car according to claim 5,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions.

7. A car according to claim 6,

wherein the foot includes a finger part that can hold an object.

8. A car according to claim 6, comprising:

a hand that can hold an object; and

an arm that is connected to the hand.

9. A car according to claim 6,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in a state that the legs are folded by bending the joint portions.

10. A car according to claim 6,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state that the wheel is not contacting the ground.

11. A car according to claim 6,

wherein the car switches between a running movement by the wheel and a walking movement by the legs, according to the state of the ground.

12. A car according to claim 11,

having a detection section for detecting the state of the ground,

wherein the car switches between the running movement by the wheel and the walking movement by the legs, according to an output from the detection section.

13. A car according to claim 6,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground when passing a step or projections and depressions, in the case where there is the step or projections and depressions on the ground during the running movement by the wheel.

14. A car according to claim 13,

having the detection section for detecting the step or projections and depressions,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground, according to an output from the detection section.

15. A car according to claim 7,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in the state an object is held by the finger part provided to the foot.

16. A car according to claim 8,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, and walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joints portions, in the state an object is held by the hand.

17. A car according to claim 5,

wherein the car is a monocyclic passenger car that a person can ride in.

18. A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car comprising:

a leg used by the car for walking; and

an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the car,

wherein the attitude stabilization section is a control moment gyro,

wherein the control moment gyro includes a rotatable flywheel,

wherein an axial direction of a rotation axis of the flywheel is along a direction from a contacting portion toward a center portion of the wheel,

wherein the number of the wheel is one,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of the joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions,

wherein the foot includes a finger part that can hold an object,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in a state that the legs are folded by bending the joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state that the wheel is not contacting the ground,

wherein the car switches between a running movement by the wheel and a walking movement by the legs, according to the state of the ground,

having a detection section for detecting the state of the ground,

wherein the car switches between the running movement by the wheel and the walking movement by the legs, according to an output from the detection section,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground when passing a step or projections and depressions, in the case where there is the step or projections and depressions on the ground during the running movement by the wheel,

having the detection section for detecting the step or projections and depressions,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground, according to an output from the detection section,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in the state an object is held by the finger part provided to the foot,

wherein the car is a monocyclic passenger car that a person can ride in.

19. A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car comprising:

a leg used by the car for walking;

a rotatable flywheel with an axial direction of a rotation axis that is along an axial direction of a rotation axis of the wheel; and

a control moment gyro for stabilizing an attitude of the car.

20. A car according to claim 19,

wherein the number of the wheel is one.

21. A car according to claim 20,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions.

22. A car according to claim 21,

wherein the foot includes a finger part that can hold an object.

23. A car according to claim 21, comprising:

a hand that can hold an object; and

an arm that is connected to the hand.

24. A car according to claim 21,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in a state that the legs are folded by bending the joint portions.

25. A car according to claim 21,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state that the wheel is not contacting the ground.

26. A car according to claim 21,

wherein the car switches between a running movement by the wheel and a walking movement by the legs, according to the state of the ground.

27. A car according to claim 26, comprising,

a detection section for detecting the state of the ground,

wherein the car switches between the running movement by the wheel and the walking movement by the legs, according to an output from the detection section.

28. A car according to claim 21,

wherein, in the case where there is a step or projections and depressions on the ground during the running movement by the wheel, the feet are made to contact the ground when passing the step or the projections and depressions.

29. A car according to claim 28,

having a detection section for detecting the step or the projections and depressions,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground, according to an output from the detection section.

30. A car according to claim 22,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in the state an object is held by the finger part provided to the foot.

31. A car according to claim 23,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, and walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state an object is held by the hand.

32. A car according to claim 20,

wherein the car is a monocyclic passenger car that a person can ride in.

33. A car having a rotatable wheel, the car being able to run by rotating the wheel, the car comprising:

a leg used by the car for walking;

a rotatable flywheel with an axial direction of a rotation axis that is along an axial direction of a rotation axis of the wheel; and

a control moment gyro for stabilizing an attitude of the car,

wherein the number of the wheel is one,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions,

wherein the foot includes a finger part that can hold an object,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in a state that the legs are folded by bending the joint portions,

wherein the car walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state that the wheel is not contacting the ground,

wherein the car switches between a running movement by the wheel and a walking movement by the legs, according to the state of the ground,

including a detection section for detecting the state of the ground,

wherein the car switches between the running movement by the wheel and the walking movement by the legs, according to an output from the detection section,

wherein, in the case where there is a step or projections and depressions on the ground during the running movement by the wheel, the feet are made to contact the ground when passing the step or the projections and depressions,

having a detection section for detecting the step or the projections and depressions,

wherein the feet are made to contact the ground, according to an output from the detection section,

wherein the car runs by rotating the wheel, in the state an object is held by the finger part provided to the foot,

wherein the car is a monocyclic passenger car that a person can ride in.

34. A walking apparatus that can walk comprising:

a leg used for walking of the walking apparatus; and

an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the walking apparatus.

35. A walking apparatus according to claim 34,

wherein the attitude stabilization section is a control moment gyro.

36. A walking apparatus according to claim 35,

having a plurality of the control moment gyros,

wherein the control moment gyro includes a rotatable flywheel,

wherein the axial direction of the rotation axis of the flywheels provided to each of the control moment gyros are different to each other.

37. A walking apparatus according to claim 35,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of joint portions,

wherein the walking apparatus walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions.

38. A walking apparatus according to claim 37, comprising:

a hand that can hold an object; and

an arm that is connected to the hand.

39. A walking apparatus according to claim 38,

wherein the walking apparatus walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state an object is held by the hand.

40. A walking apparatus, comprising:

a leg used for walking of the walking apparatus; and

an attitude stabilization section for stabilizing an attitude of the walking apparatus,

wherein the attitude stabilization section is a control moment gyro,

having a plurality of the control moment gyros,

wherein the control moment gyro includes a rotatable flywheel,

wherein the axial direction of the rotation axis of the flywheels provided to each of the control moment gyros are different to each other,

having at least two legs,

wherein the leg includes a foot and a plurality of joint portions,

wherein the walking apparatus walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions,

including a hand that can hold an object, and an arm that is connected to the hand,

wherein the walking apparatus walks by making the feet alternately contact the ground by bending and extending the joint portions, in the state an object is held by the hand.

41. A car having a wheel that is rotatable about a rotation axis comprising,

an attitude control mechanism for controlling an attitude of the car,

wherein the wheel has a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is located lower than the rotation axis,

wherein when an imaginary plane that includes the rotation axis and in which the normal direction is a horizontal direction is a first imaginary plane, an intersection line of the contacting portion and the first imaginary plane is a curved line,

wherein among the points on the curved line are included a first point that satisfies a following first condition and a second point that satisfies a following second condition,

wherein in the first condition, a second imaginary plane includes the first point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the second imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the second imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line at the first point, being located lower than the center of gravity of the car, and

wherein in the second condition, a third imaginary plane includes the second point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the third imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the third imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line at the second point, being located upper than the center of gravity of the car.

43. A car according to claim 41,

wherein both ends of the intersection line are adjacent to non-contacting portions that do not contact the ground while the car is moving, and that is provided on the wheel,

wherein a center of the intersection line contacts the ground when the car is in an upright state, and

wherein the intersection line includes a first curved line portion in which all points on the line are the first points and a second curved line portion in which all points on the line are the second points.

44. A car according to claim 43,

wherein the second curved line portion is located at both end portions of the intersection line.

45. A car according to claim 43,

wherein the second curved line portion is located at a center portion of the intersection line.

49. A car according to claim 45,

wherein the attitude control mechanism is a control moment gyro.

50. A car according to claim 41,

wherein the number of the wheel is one.

42. A car having a wheel that is rotatable about a rotation axis comprising,

an attitude control mechanism for controlling an attitude of the car,

wherein the wheel has a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is located lower than the rotation axis,

wherein when an imaginary plane that includes the rotation axis and in which the normal direction is a horizontal direction is a first imaginary plane, an intersection line of the contacting portion and the first imaginary plane has a straight line portion and a curved line portion,

wherein among the points on the curved line portion is included a first point that satisfies the following first condition, and

wherein in the first condition, a second imaginary plane includes the first point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the second imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the second imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line portion at the first point, being located lower than the center of gravity of the car.

46. A car according to claim 42,

wherein both ends of the intersection line are adjacent to non-contacting portions that are provided to the wheel, and that do not contact the ground while the car is moving,

wherein a center of the intersection line contacts the ground when the car is in an upright state, and

wherein the points on the curved line portion are all the first points.

47. A car according to claim 46,

wherein the straight line portion is located at both end portions of the intersection line.

48. A car according to claim 46,

wherein the straight line portion is located at a center portion of the intersection line.

51. A car having a wheel that is rotatable about a rotation axis comprising,

an attitude control mechanism for controlling an attitude of the car, wherein

the wheel has a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is located lower than the rotation axis,

when an imaginary plane that includes the rotation axis and in which the normal direction is a horizontal direction is a first imaginary plane, an intersection line of the contacting portion and the first imaginary plane is a curved line,

among the points on the curved line are included a first point that satisfies a following first condition and a second point that satisfies a following second condition,

both ends of the intersection line are adjacent to non-contacting portions that do not contact the ground while the car is moving, and that is provided on the wheel,

a center of the intersection line contacts the ground when the car is in an upright state,

the intersection line includes a first curved line portion in which all points on the line are the first points and a second curved line portion in which all points on the line are the second points,

the second curved line portion is located at a center portion of the intersection line,

the attitude control mechanism is a control moment gyro,

the number of the wheel is one,

in the first condition, a second imaginary plane includes the first point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the second imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the second imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line at the first point, being located lower than the center of gravity of the car, and

in the second condition, a third imaginary plane includes the second point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the third imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the third imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line at the second point, being located upper than the center of gravity of the car.

52. A car having a wheel that is rotatable about a rotation axis comprising,

an attitude control mechanism for controlling an attitude of the car,

wherein

the wheel has a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is located lower than the rotation axis,

when an imaginary plane that includes the rotation axis and in which the normal direction is a horizontal direction is a first imaginary plane, an intersection line of the contacting portion and the first imaginary plane has a straight line portion and a curved line portion,

among the points on the curved line portion is included a first point that satisfies the following first condition, and

both ends of the intersection line are adjacent to non-contacting portions that do not contact the ground while the car is moving, and that is provided on the wheel,

a center of the intersection line contacts the ground when the car is in an upright state,

the points on the curved line portion are all the first points,

the straight line portion is located at both end portions of the intersection line,

the straight line portion is located at a center portion of the intersection line,

the attitude control mechanism is a control moment gyro, and

the number of the wheel is one,

in the first condition, a second imaginary plane includes the first point and is perpendicular to the first imaginary plane, the second imaginary plane in which the normal direction of the second imaginary plane is a tangential direction of the curved line portion at the first point, being located lower than the center of gravity of the car.

53. A method of determining a shape of a wheel of a car;

the car having a car body, and the wheel that is rotatably provided to the car body;

an attitude of the car being restorable to a non-inclined state from an inclined state in which the car body and the wheel are inclined to the side, by control of an attitude control mechanism that controls the attitude in order to restore the attitude of the car;

the method comprising;

determining the attitude in which state is to be restored to the non-inclined state, in order to set an attitude restoring performance of the car; and

determining the shape of the wheel, based on a result that has been determined and a parameter showing a control ability of the attitude control mechanism.

54. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 53,

wherein the number of the wheel provided to the car is one.

55. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 54,

wherein the car is provided with a control moment gyro having a flywheel that can rotate about its rotation axis, as an attitude control mechanism.

56. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 55,

wherein the rotation axis of the flywheel is along the rotation axis of the wheel.

57. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 55,

wherein an intersection line of a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is provided to the wheel located on a lower side of the rotation axis of the wheel, and an imaginary plane in which a normal direction is a horizontal direction, and that includes the rotation axis of the wheel, is an arc,

wherein when determining the shape of the wheel, a radius of curvature of the arc is determined as the shape of the wheel.

58. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 57,

wherein the car is provided with a rotation control mechanism that controls a rotation of the wheel in order to restore an attitude of the car from a tilted state in which the car body tilts in a front-to-rear direction, to a non-tilted state,

wherein the method includes

determining the attitude in which tilted state is to be restored to the non-tilted state, in order to set the attitude restoring performance of the car, and

determining an external diameter of the wheel as the shape of the wheel, based on a result that is determined and a parameter showing a control ability of the rotation control mechanism.

59. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 58,

wherein when determining the attitude in which state is to be restored to the non-inclined state, the attitude in which inclined state and in which tilted state is to be restored is determined.

60. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 59,

wherein the parameter showing the control ability of the attitude control mechanism includes a maximum number of rotations of the flywheel, a diameter of the flywheel, and a maximum output of a gimbal motor that controls a rotation of a rotatable gimbal that holds the flywheel.

61. A method of determining a shape of a wheel according to claim 60,

wherein the rotation control mechanism is a driving motor for rotating the wheel, and

the parameter showing the control ability of the rotation control mechanism includes the maximum output of the driving motor.

62. A method of determining a shape of a wheel of a car;

the car having a car body, and the wheel that is rotatably provided to the car body;

an attitude of the car being restorable to a non-inclined state from an inclined state in which the car body and the wheel are inclined to the side, by control of an attitude control mechanism that controls the attitude in order to restore the attitude of the car;

the method comprising;

determining the attitude in which state is to be restored to the non-inclined state, in order to set an attitude restoring performance of the car; and

determining the shape of the wheel, based on a result that has been determined and a parameter showing a control ability of the attitude control mechanism,

wherein the number of the wheel provided to the car is one,

wherein the car is provided with a control moment gyro having a flywheel that can rotate about its rotation axis, as an attitude control mechanism,

wherein the rotation axis of the flywheel is along the rotation axis of the wheel,

wherein an intersection line of a contacting portion that can contact a ground while the car is moving, and that is provided to the wheel located on a lower side of the rotation axis of the wheel, and an imaginary plane in which a normal direction is a horizontal direction, and that includes the rotation axis of the wheel, is an arc,

wherein when determining the shape of the wheel, a radius of curvature of the arc is determined as the shape of the wheel,

wherein the car is provided with a rotation control mechanism that controls a rotation of the wheel in order to restore an attitude of the car from a tilted state in which the car body tilts in a front-to-rear direction, to a non-tilted state,

wherein the method includes

determining the attitude in which tilted state is to be restored to the non-tilted state, in order to set the attitude restoring performance of the car, and

determining an external diameter of the wheel as the shape of the wheel, based on a result that is determined and a parameter showing a control ability of the rotation control mechanism,

wherein when determining the attitude in which state is to be restored to the non-inclined state, the attitude in which inclined state and in which tilted state is to be restored is determined,

wherein the parameter showing the control ability of the attitude control mechanism includes a maximum number of rotations of the flywheel, a diameter of the flywheel, and a maximum output of a gimbal motor that controls a rotation of a rotatable gimbal that holds the flywheel,

wherein the rotation control mechanism is a driving motor for rotating the wheel, and

the parameter showing the control ability of the rotation control mechanism includes the maximum output of the driving motor.