PROTOINNOVATIONS, LLC IS DEVELOPING AN INVENTIVE SYSTEM FOR WHEELED MOBILITY THAT EXPLOITS THE GEOMETRIC AN…

Public award description

PROTOINNOVATIONS, LLC IS DEVELOPING AN INVENTIVE SYSTEM FOR WHEELED MOBILITY THAT EXPLOITS THE GEOMETRIC AND MECHANICAL ATTRIBUTES OF TENSEGRITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE TERRAIN IN AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MANNER. DUBBED THE TENSEGRITAL WHEEL, THIS UNIQUE WHEEL DESIGN EMULATES THE BEHAVIOR OF A VARIABLE PRESSURE TIRE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR AN INFLATION SYSTEM. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TENSEGRITAL WHEEL IS SUCH THAT IT ABSORBS AND DIFFUSES GROUND FORCES EVENLY. THE STIFFNESS OF THE TENSEGRITAL WHEEL CAN BE TUNED TO MATCH THE DEMANDS OF A GIVEN TERRAIN THAT THE WHEEL IS TO OPERATE ON OR CAN BE ADJUSTED ON-THE-FLY. THESE ATTRIBUTES ALLOW FOR BETTER ADAPTATION TO THE TERRAIN THUS INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THRUST THAT CAN BE GENERATED AT THE WHEEL/GROUND INTERFACE, AND IMPROVING A VEHICLE S DYNAMIC RESPONSE AND OBSTACLE NEGOTIATION. WE ASSERT THAT THE TENSEGRITAL WHEEL CAN BE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE AN EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTHTO- WEIGHT RATIO AND CAPACITY FOR LONG-LIFE SPECIFICALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF PLANETARY EXPLORATION. IN PHASE I OF THIS SBIR WE PROVED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT THROUGH ANALYSIS, TESTING, AND DEMONSTRATIONS. IN PHASE II WE WILL OPTIMIZE VARIOUS TENSEGRTIAL WHEEL DESIGNS AND ADVANCED THE MATURITY AND READINESS OF THIS SYSTEM FOR FILIGHT WORTHINESS.