Wall climbing vehicles with adaptable magnetic wheels
AssigneesSumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsHaruhiko Harry Asada, Haruhiko Eto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include a chassis, at least one wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis, and a magnet positioning inside of the at least one wheel. The magnet may be rotatably coupled to the wheel with a first shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable about a first axis. In some instances, the magnet may also be coupled to the first shaft with a second shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable relative to the wheel about a second axis. Accordingly, the magnet may have either one or two degrees of freedom of movement within the at least one wheel. The magnet may rotate passively, actively, or semi-actively in one or more directions to provide an attractive force toward a ferromagnetic surface to secure the vehicle to the ferromagnetic surface.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- at least one wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis;
- a wheel actuator coupled to the wheel and configured to selectively drive the wheel;
- a magnet positioned inside of the at least one wheel, wherein the magnet is rotatably coupled to the at least one wheel via a first magnet shaft such that the magnet is rotatable relative to the wheel about a first axis;
- and
- a magnet actuator coupled to the first magnet shaft, wherein the magnet actuator is configured to selectively adjust an angle of the magnet relative to the first axis,
- wherein the magnet is rotatably coupled to the at least one wheel via a second magnet shaft rotatably coupled to the first magnet shaft, such that the magnet is rotatable relative to the wheel about a second axis.
A vehicle comprising:
- a chassis;
- a wheel rotatably coupled to the chassis;
- a wheel actuator coupled to the wheel and configured to selectively drive the wheel;
- a plurality of magnets positioned inside of the wheel, wherein the plurality of magnets are rotatably coupled to the wheel via a first magnet shaft such that the plurality of magnets are rotatable relative to the wheel about a first axis;
- and
- a magnet actuator coupled to the first magnet shaft, wherein the magnet actuator is configured to selectively adjust an angle of the plurality of magnets relative to the first axis,
- wherein the plurality of magnets positioned inside of the wheel are arranged in a Halbach array.
A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:
- controlling a wheel actuator of the vehicle to drive a plurality of wheels of the vehicle, the plurality of wheels being rotatably coupled to a chassis of the vehicle, the wheel actuator being coupled to each of the plurality of wheels to selectively drive each of the plurality of wheels;
- and
- controlling a magnet actuator configured to selectively adjust an angle of a magnet relative to a first axis, the magnet being positioned inside each of the plurality of wheels, the magnet being rotatably coupled to each of the plurality of wheels via a first magnet shaft in such a manner as to be rotatable relative to each of the plurality of wheels about the first axis, the magnet being rotatably coupled to each of the plurality of wheels via a second magnet shaft in such a manner as to be rotatable relative to each of the plurality of wheels about a second axis, the second magnet shaft being rotatably coupled to the first magnet shaft, the magnet actuator being coupled to the first magnet shaft,
- wherein said controlling the wheel actuator includes driving the plurality of wheels along a surface toward a wall orientated at an angle relative to the surface;
- said controlling the magnet actuator includes orienting the magnet positioned inside of at least one front wheel of the plurality of wheels about the first axis in a direction orthogonal to the wall;
- said controlling the wheel actuator includes driving at least one rear wheel of the plurality of wheels along the surface toward the wall;
- said controlling the magnet actuator includes orienting the magnet positioned inside of the at least one rear wheel about first axis in the direction orthogonal to the wall;
- and
- said controlling the wheel actuator includes driving the plurality of wheels of the vehicle along the wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.