Roller assemblies for a holonomic base

An apparatus for a holonomic base, comprising:

• a drive shaft comprising a first longitudinal end, a second longitudinal end, and a drive shaft rotational axis extending between the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end;
• a first roller assembly and a second roller assembly each comprising at least three roller segments each coupled to the drive shaft, the roller segments of the first roller assembly and the roller segments of the second roller assembly each comprising:
• an exposed exterior spherical zone, and
• a corresponding roller ball;
• wherein the spherical zone of each of the roller segments comprises a base and an opposite top, wherein the base has a base circumference that is larger than a top circumference of the top, and wherein the base is more proximal to the drive shaft than the top;
• wherein each of the roller balls is freely rotating, is coupled to a corresponding one of the roller segments, and extends above the top of the spherical zone of the corresponding one of the roller segments;
• wherein each of the roller segments of the first roller assembly rotates freely about a corresponding one of at least three roller segment rotational axes that each extend outward from the drive shaft through the corresponding roller segment of the first roller assembly;
• wherein the roller segment rotational axes are spaced equidistant to one another relative to the drive shaft rotational axis;
• wherein each of the roller segments of the second roller assembly rotates freely about a corresponding one of at least three additional roller segment rotational axes that each extend outward from the drive shaft through the corresponding roller segment of the second roller assembly;
• wherein the additional roller segment rotational axes are spaced equidistant to one another relative to the drive shaft rotational axis;
• and
• wherein the roller segments of the first roller assembly and the roller segments of the second roller assembly are in fixed relation to one another relative to the drive shaft rotational axis.

An apparatus for a holonomic base, comprising:

• a drive shaft comprising a first longitudinal end, a second longitudinal end, a drive shaft rotational axis extending between the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end, a first keying feature at a first location along the drive shaft and a second keying feature at a second location along the drive shaft;
• a first roller assembly and a second roller assembly each comprising a plurality of roller segments each coupled to the drive shaft, the roller segments of the first roller assembly and the roller segments of the second roller assembly each comprising an exposed exterior spherical zone;
• wherein the spherical zone of each of the roller segments comprises a base and an opposite top, wherein the base has a base circumference that is larger than a top circumference of the top, and wherein the base is more proximal to the drive shaft than the top;
• wherein each of the roller segments of the first roller assembly rotates freely about a corresponding one of a plurality of roller segment rotational axes that each extend outward from the drive shaft through the corresponding roller segment of the first roller assembly;
• wherein the roller segment rotational axes are spaced equidistant to one another relative to the drive shaft rotational axis;
• wherein each of the roller segments of the second roller assembly rotates freely about a corresponding one of a plurality of additional roller segment rotational axes that each extend outward from the drive shaft through the corresponding roller segment of the second roller assembly;
• wherein the additional roller segment rotational axes are spaced equidistant to one another relative to the drive shaft rotational axis;
• a first frame coupled to the drive shaft at the first location and coupling the roller segments of the first roller assembly to the drive shaft;
• a second frame coupled to the drive shaft at the second location and coupling the roller segments of the second roller assembly to the drive shaft;
• wherein the first keying feature restricts the coupling of the first frame to the drive shaft at the first location and the second keying feature restricts the coupling of the second frame to the drive shaft at the second location;
• and
• wherein the first keying feature and the second keying feature collectively restrict the roller segment rotational axes of the roller segments of the second roller assembly to being offset, relative to the drive shaft rotational axis, from the roller segment rotational axes of the roller segments of the first roller assembly.