Omni-direction wheel system and methods for controlling the omni-direction wheel system
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorRicky Jukuei Hsu
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Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to an omni-direction wheel system and methods for controlling the omni-direction wheel system. The omni-direction wheel system includes a plurality of suspension systems that operate independently of one another. Each suspension system may include an electromagnetic steering hub configured to rotate a wheel 360 degrees about a vertical axis based on a polarity of an electromagnetic signal applied to the electromagnetic steering hub. The suspension system may further include an in-wheel motor configured to rotate with the wheel and drive the wheel about a horizontal axis.
Claims22
A suspension system comprising:
- a smart tire mounted on a wheel and configured to morph into different configurations, wherein the smart tire comprises a plurality of reconfigurable scales configured to be modified to change a structure of the smart tire, a density of the smart tire, or a ground pressure of the smart tire;
- an electromagnetic steering hub configured to rotate the wheel 360 degrees about a vertical axis;
- and
- an in-wheel motor configured to drive the wheel about a horizontal axis.
A vehicle comprising:
- one or more sensors configured to obtain information related to one or more conditions associated with the vehicle or an environment of the vehicle;
- a plurality of smart tires having a plurality of reconfigurable scales;
- and
- a vehicle system having a processor and configured to receive the information from the one or more sensors and control the plurality of smart tires, wherein the vehicle system is configured to modify a structure of the smart tire, a density of the smart tire, or a ground pressure of the smart tire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.