DEVELOPMENT OF AN UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE LOCOMOTION SYSTEM

BENTHOS, A WORLD LEADER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE (ROV) SYSTEMS, HAS CONCEIVED A VEHICLE LOCOMOTION SYSTEM THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE SMALL UNMANNED VEHICLE MOBILITY, PERFORMANCE AND STABILITY BY ELIMINATING THE DISADVANTAGES OF WHEELED AND TREADED SYSTEMS. ESSENTIAL TO THE LOCOMOTIVE CONCEPT ARE CLUSTERS OF THREE WHEELS MOUNTED IN A PLANETARY FASHION ABOUT A COMMON AXIS. FOUR OF THESE THREE WHEEL CLUSTERS ARE IN TURN MOUNTED AT THE CORNERS OF A VEHICLE PLATFORM. EACH OF THE THREE WHEELS IN A CLUSTER IS DRIVEN BY A SIMPLE PLANETARY MECHANISM RESULTING IN ALL 12 WHEELS BEING CONTINUOUSLY DRIVEN. AS EACH THREE WHEEL CLUSTER CAN PIVOT FREELY ON ITS CENTRAL AXIS TO ACCOMMODATE TERRAIN VARIATIONS AND OBSTACLES, NUMEROUS DRIVEN WHEELS ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE SUPPORTING SURFACE AT ANY ONE TIME. WHEN A LARGE OBSTACLE IS ENCOUNTERED, THE WHEEL CLUSTERS ROTATE TO PROVIDE LIFTING AND TRACTIVE FORCES. IN LIKE MANNER, WHEN WATER IS ENCOUNTERED, THE CLUSTER ASSEMBLIES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO "PADDLE WHEEL" ROTATE, PROVIDING MOTIVE FORCE UNTIL WHEEL TRACTION IS AGAIN REESTABLISHED. THE ENVISIONED ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED LOCOMOTIVE CONCEPT HAVE BEEN WITNESSED ON A SMALL WORKING MODEL. BENTHOS PROPOSES TO REFINE THE LOCOMOTIVE ARRANGEMENT AND DEFINE A SUITABLE INEXPENSIVE PROTOTYPE VEHICLE SYSTEM TO FULLY EVALUATE THE CONCEPT.