Stabilized vehicle using articulating joint

A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface, where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having at least two wheels and a carriage having at least one wheel, where said stabilizer and said carriage are linked by a one axis joint,

• where said one axis joint includes a near vertical yaw axis that is fixed to both said stabilizer and said carriage,
• where said stabilizer includes a rear stabilizer wheel that is mounted to allow it to pivot about a near vertical wheel axis that is fixed to said stabilizer at a point that is significantly to rearward of said near vertical yaw axis,
• where control of a vehicle turning operation includes causing said pivot such that said rear stabilizer wheel exerts force that causes said stabilizer to turn, with said carriage being guided from said near vertical yaw axis to follow a then turning said path,
• and where rearward position of said point causes said rear stabilizer wheel to significantly extend from said wheeled vehicle toward an outside of said turning said path so as to enable a counteracting force that acts to counteract a roll tendency of a turning said wheeled vehicle.

A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface,

• where said wheeled vehicle is a high aspect ratio vehicle,
• where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having at least three wheels and a carriage having at least one wheel, where said stabilizer and said carriage are linked by a two axis joint,
• where said two axis joint includes a near vertical yaw axis, an approximately horizontal and transverse pitch axis, and a connecting structure that hinges at said yaw axis and at pitch axis, where said yaw axis is fixed to said stabilizer and said pitch axis is fixed to said carriage,
• where said stabilizer includes a rear stabilizer wheel that is mounted to allow it to pivot about a near vertical wheel axis that is fixed to said stabilizer,
• and where a vehicle turning operation includes a combination of pivoting of said rear stabilizer wheel about said near vertical wheel axis and hinging of said stabilizer about said yaw axis, with said carriage being guided from said near vertical yaw axis to follow a then turning said path,
• where said connecting structure is configured such that said pitch axis is significantly displaced from said yaw axis such that said stabilizer acts by position of a stabilizer wheel and vehicle weight distribution to counter roll tendencies of said carriage by causing roll suppressing torque that is applied to said carriage through said yaw axis and said pitch axis.