Soft target movement platform
AssigneeAnthony Best Dynamics Ltd.
InventorMichael James Sones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A soft target movement platform 181 for carrying a soft target is provided. The platform comprises: a first drive motor 187; a first driven wheel 185 driveable by the first drive motor; a second drive motor 191; a second driven wheel 189 driveable by the second drive motor; and a steering assembly 101. The steering assembly comprises: a steering motor 47; and an undriven wheel 43 arranged to be actively turned about a steering axis by the steering motor. The platform is steerable by a differential torque from the first and second drive motors to the respective first and second driven wheels, and steering assistance is provided by actively turning the undriven wheel about the steering axis by the steering motor.
Claims19
A soft target movement platform for carrying a soft target, the soft target movement platform comprising:
- a first drive motor;
- a first driven wheel driveable by the first drive motor;
- a second drive motor;
- a second driven wheel driveable by the second drive motor;
- and
- a steering assembly comprising:
- a steering motor;
- and
- an undriven wheel arranged to be actively turned about a steering axis by the steering motor;
- wherein the soft target movement platform is steerable by a differential torque from the first and second drive motors to the respective first and second driven wheels, and steering assistance is provided by actively turning the undriven wheel about the steering axis by the steering motor,
- wherein the undriven wheel is moveable between a compression position and a rebounded position, and the soft target movement platform comprises a biasing arrangement configured to bias the undriven wheel to the rebounded position, wherein the biasing arrangement surrounds the undriven wheel such that the undriven wheel occupies at least part of a central void formed by the biasing arrangement.
A steering assembly for use in a soft target movement platform, the steering assembly comprising:
- a housing mountable to a base of the soft target movement platform;
- a steering motor coupled to the housing;
- and
- an undriven wheel arranged to be actively turned about a steering axis relative to the housing by the steering motor,
- wherein the undriven wheel is moveable between a compression position and a rebounded position, and the steering assembly comprises a biasing arrangement configured to bias the undriven wheel to the rebounded position, wherein the biasing arrangement surrounds the undriven wheel such that the undriven wheel occupies at least part of a central void formed by the biasing arrangement.
A method of operating a soft target movement platform moveable by a motive force, the soft target movement platform comprising a set of three wheels, the set of three wheels comprising:
- two driven wheels to steer the soft target movement platform by differential steering according to a differential torque from a first drive motor to drive one of the two driven wheels and a second drive motor to drive the other one of the two driven wheels, wherein the differential torque forms the motive force for moving the soft target movement platform;
- and
- a freewheel to assist steering without contributing to the motive force for moving the soft target movement platform;
- the method comprising:
- actively turning the freewheel about a steering axis by a steering motor to provide steering assistance to the two driven wheels;
- collapsing the freewheel to a collapsed state;
- and
- rebounding the freewheel from the collapsed state towards a rebounded state, the soft target movement platform comprising a biasing arrangement configured to bias the freewheel to the rebounded state, wherein the biasing arrangement surrounds the freewheel such that the freewheel occupies at least part of a central void formed by the biasing arrangement.
A soft target movement platform for carrying a soft target, the soft target movement platform comprising:
- a plurality of wheels upon which the soft target movement platform moves, wherein at least one of the wheels is moveable between a compression position and a rebounded position;
- a biasing arrangement configured to bias the moveable wheel to the rebounded position, wherein the biasing arrangement comprises an annular biasing member surrounding the moveable wheel such that the moveable wheel occupies at least part of a central void formed by the biasing arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.