Tag Archives: wheel

Morphing wheel research can ride over uneven surfaces and obstacles

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Wheelchairs and mobile robots are useful (and sometimes necessary) tools for those who need them but because of the way their wheels are built, there are a lot of limitations as to where they can go. Uneven surfaces and high obstacle areas can sometimes be unaccessible for them. Researchers have been trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak by coming up with a wheel that can adjust to different terrains. This latest one from Korean researchers may just be the most promising.

Designers: Jae-Young Lee, Seongji Han, Munyu Kim, Yong-Sin Seo, Jongwoo Park, Dong Il Park, Chanhun Park, Hyunuk Seo, Joonho Lee, Hwi-Su Kim, Jeongae Bak, Hugo Rodrigue, Jin-Gyun Kim, Joono Cheong, Sung-Hyuk Song

This Variable-stiffness–morphing wheel that they are testing out is actually inspired by the surface tension of a droplet of liquid. The main thing about this experimental wheel is that it is able to ride through uneven terrain and go through obstacles while still keeping what makes a wheel a wheel when driving through flat ground. You’ll have to go back to your physics notes to fully understand but the basic idea is to create an imbalance in the cohesive forces between molecules.

This deformable wheel that they’re developing has a “smart chain structure” which is a chain of blocks outside the wheel that is connected by wire spokes to opposite sides of the central hub. From the demo video that they showed, the wheel is able to deform and adapt to the surface so it could travel over the obstacles it encounters. The two-wheeled wheelchair they used was able to ride through grassy ground with uneven surfaces. There was not video of the four-wheeled vehicle but they said it was able to drive over rocks and large steps.

It’s still early stages in this research so there are things they need to improve on. For example, dust and particles are able to get through to the smart chain blocks so the wheels are easily damaged. And the video of the wheelchair shows there’s an extreme forward tilt to the chair part so it’s not that safe for passengers yet. But this morphing wheel is promising and may eventually be useful for wheelchairs, mobile robots, and other uses.

The post Morphing wheel research can ride over uneven surfaces and obstacles first appeared on Yanko Design.

Guys Successfully 3D Print a Functional Wheel Rim

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Because 3D printing offers a glimpse into the future, Jón Schone of YouTube channel Proper Printing used the technology to print a car rim that can successfully be driven on without failing and causing a horrific accident. And, after some trial and error (the first prototype failed due to layer separation caused by the tire pressure stretching the rim), he was finally able to produce a functional rim. Still, would I trust my life to it? Absolutely not.

You know, in the future, we won’t even have spare tires; we’ll have onboard robots that can manufacture any broken car part in a matter of minutes so we can quickly be on our way without getting a tow truck or shifty backwoods mechanic involved. Will I live to see that future? Probably not, but maybe my grandchildren would if I had any.

Last weekend, I actually told my wife I was thinking about buying a 3D printer, and she immediately asked what I need one for. It took some time to explain that it wasn’t so much a need as it was a desire, and that’s when she shut down the idea. Now I’m left with no choice but to buy one behind her back and set it up in the guest bedroom closet without her knowledge.

[via TechEBlog]

A Smartphone Enabled Hamster Wheel For Measuring Your Pet’s Exercise

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Pets: just like humans, they need exercise. Granted I don’t do any, but I do understand its importance. Isn’t that half the battle? Oh, G.I. Joe is shaking his head no. Enter the Marathon Pets Smart Wheel, a hamster/small rodent wheel that is supposed to connect humans with their pets via their running activity.

Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter ($49 – $55 for an 8-inch wheel, $68 – $85 for a 12-inch wheel), the device can measure a pet’s current speed, max speed, average speed, distance, revolutions, number of running sessions, and time run, and relay all that information to your smartphone, tablet or PC for analysis. Granted I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with all that information, but you could certainly make some cool charts and graphs in Microsoft Excel.

So, let’s say the wheel indicates your small pet isn’t getting as much exercise as it should, what do you do? Simple – hire me as its personal trainer. For only $20/session, I’ll Skype your hamster and provide them with all the motivation they need to get fit. Or just talk to them in a baby voice for five minutes before hanging up to make myself a sandwich. It’s really a win-win situation provided if you don’t think about it too hard, or at all really.

[via GeekyGadgets]

This air pollution sucking bike wheel is the solution needed to provide clean breathing air!

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Human inflicted air pollution is a nemesis for the planet, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem and contributing largely to the global warming woes. The problem has quickly escalated and is proving to be a major headache for nations worldwide. People are doing their bit by adopting emission-free modes of commuting – bicycles being the simplest and easiest ones to adopt right now, giving us all reason enough to make the switch from four-wheeled air-polluting vehicles. As an added bonus, they fit right in with the fitness regime for a healthy lifestyle. According to the European Cyclists’ Federation, “average bike emits 21g of CO2 per kilometer traveled – 5g for the bike’s manufacture and maintenance and 16g for the calories consumed, and subsequently burned, by the cyclist to power the pedals.” In comparison, a motor vehicle emits 271g of CO2 per passenger kilometer!

Taking a ride on the pedal-powered bike is an eco-friendly way of living but can it be bettered? According to industrial design graduate from London Southbank University, Kristen Tapping, it is possible. She has thought of an innovative way to turn the bike’s wheel into air pollution capturing device that purifies the air and releases it back into the environment. The award-winning invention christened Rolloe Roll Of Emissions, inspired by the highly air polluted streets of London, has to be one of the cleanest ways of commuting, especially in crowded cities. Kristen pondered the spinning movement of the bike’s wheel and its use as an air filter, just like a conventional household air filter does with the spinning motion. The mechanism works by pushing the polluted air inside the rim of the wheel which houses the filters. These filters are made up of the loofa sponge which is a washable and biodegradable HEPA filter that captures the large particulates and activated carbon which is proven for its properties to capture gas molecules and volatile organic compounds.

The innovative wheel is designed in a way to suck in the air through the central cavity and push clean air out through the fins. The more the biker pedals forward, the more particulates are captured. For now, the prototype developed by Kristen captures 0.665m³ of air per kilometer cycled. According to her if “10% of all London cyclists had one Rolloe installed on their bike, they would filter approximately 266,865m³ of air – 20 times the size of Trafalgar Square.” Kristen wants to improve her design and develop a rear-wheel which doubles those numbers. She is also working on 3D printing a portion of the three-spoke mag wheel and using weatherproof and sustainable material for the wheel. Rolloe is surely a wise step in the right direction and we can’t wait to see it become a part of our everyday life!

Designer: Kristen Tapping

Imagine being able to zip new treads onto your bicycle tires

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“You’re used to changing your shoes and jacket to match the location or weather. Why shouldn’t you be able to do the same with your bike?”

reTyre’s zippable tire-tread system gives your city bicycle the versatility to work off the road too. A simple zipping mechanism allows you to add a secondary, tougher tread on your tires, letting you go from riding on smooth asphalt to traversing through tough terrain. No matter the speed, the distance, or the condition, reTyre’s selection of treads make it the only set of wheels your bicycle needs… and in turn making your bicycle the only bicycle you’ll need too.

reTyre’s special bicycle tire comes with a zipper lining and a selection of treads or skins that you can clad on your existing tire. The original tire works great on asphalt, and the wide variety of skins allow you to ride your bicycle on mud, gravel, rocks, or even snow. Working on straight roads, curved paths, and even on tough downhill trails, the tire treads give you exactly the grip you need, and the industrial-strength zipper system perseveres through rain, snow, or even rocky terrain… every single time. And when not in use, the treads easily fold up and go right into your backpack!

Designer: reTyre

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DARPA’s wheel switches shapes with terrain!

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Designed as a collaborative project between Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center and DARPA researchers, the Reconfigurable Wheel Track, dubbed the RWT, helps vehicles move on any sort of terrain… and it does so in spectacular fashion, by shapeshifting to turn from a rotary wheel to a track system.

On much harder terrain, the RWT works like a regular wheel, rotating to help move the vehicle from point A to B, but the minute it reaches terrain that’s softer, like mud, silt, snow, or sand, the RWT shapeshifts (within as quick as 2 seconds) to a triangular format, and the rubber grip around the tire runs like a conveyor track you’d see on tanks. The wheel ultimately allows vehicles to move around effectively, regardless of the terrain type or the weather, and will see itself being used on vehicles for defense purposes.

And while the GIF below definitely makes me go “whoa”, my favorite wheel reinvention will probably still be NASA’s incredibly light and versatile chain-link wheel.

Designers: DARPA & Carnegie Mellon University NREU

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