Locomotion System by rolling Balls and its Traficability

一种新的运动系统，设计了一个与传统的车轮系统截然不同的概念，包括一个大滚动球和三个驱动辊。大滚珠通过三个驱动滚轮支撑车体，三个驱动滚轮在同一纬度上以120 °等间距设置在滚珠的上部。球的滚动由每个辊的旋转速度和方向控制。给出了单个驱动单元的基本特性和基于该运动系统的试验车的基本性能的实验结果。估计了弯曲的幅度和偏离期望的滚动方向的角度。结果表明，轧制性能与轧制方向有关。在给定时间，三个辊中的任何两个与轧制方向成60 °，第三个与轧制方向成直角。当处于60 °的辊处于滚动的最前面时，滚动是稳定的，具有较少的曲折，但是在辊和球之间的牵引力方面是不稳定的。试验车辆包括三个驱动单元。通过将所有单元设置在相同的轧制方向上，可以进行直线行进。在轧制方向上，通过将一个装置设置为停止，将另外两个装置设置为驱动，可实现自动车削。在沥青路面、耕地和草地上进行了行车试验。然而，球有时会从驱动装置中取出。通过测量轧辊的扭矩和轧辊上产生的法向反力，分析了其产生问题的原因。

A new locomotion system, designed with a concept quite different from the conventional wheel system, comprises one big rolling ball and three driving rollers. The big rolling ball supports the vehicle body through three driving rollers which are positioned at equal intervals of 120 deg.of the same latitude onto the upper part of the rolling ball. The rolling of the ball is controlled by the rotating speed and direction of each roller. The results of the experiments on the fundamental characteristics of a single drive unit and the basic performance of the trial vehicle based on this locomotion system are presented. The magnitude of meandering and the angle of deviation from the desired direction of the rolling was estimated. The results showed that the rolling performance depended on the rolling direction. At a given time any two of the three rollers are at 60 deg.and the third at right angles to the rolling direction. When the rollers at 60 deg.were at the forefront of rolling, rolling was stable with less meandering but unstable in the traction between the rollers and the ball. The trial vehicle comprised three drive units. Straight traveling is engaged by setting all the units in the same rolling direction. Pivotal turning is engaged by setting one unit on stop and the other two units on drive in the rolling direction concerned. Traveling tests were succeeded on asphalt road, tilled soil and also grassy land. However, the ball sometime removed from drive unit. The cause of its problem was considered by measuring the torques of the rollers and normal reaction forces produced on rollers.