The present disclosure generally relates to an omni-direction wheel system and methods for controlling the omni-direction wheel system. The omni-direction wheel system includes a plurality of suspension systems that operate independently of one another. Each suspension system may include an electromagnetic steering hub configured to rotate a wheel 360 degrees about a vertical axis based on a polarity of an electromagnetic signal applied to the electromagnetic steering hub. The suspension system may further include an in-wheel motor configured to rotate with the wheel and drive the wheel about a horizontal axis.

A support assembly for a vehicle includes at least two spherical tires travelling on a road surface and rotating relative to the road surface and the vehicle and a drive system magnetically driving rotation of the tires relative to the drive system itself such that no portion of the drive system physically contacts the tires or the road surface.

An omni-directional wheel for a pool vacuum head includes a first frame and a second substantially identical frame, each frame having a hub rotating around a common axis, lower supports extending radially from the hub, risers extending from the hub along the common axis, and upper supports individually coupled to the risers, the upper supports extending radially from the common axis. Rollers coupled to the first frame and the second frame, are radially spaced from the common axis on each frame. The rollers rotate normal to the common axis to impart omni-directional movement. When the first frame and the second frame are interlocked, the risers on the first frame engage the hub on the second frame, and the lower supports on the first frame engaging the upper supports on the second frame, maintaining the rollers in a staggered arrangement around the wheel.

A system includes an inspection robot for performing an inspection on an inspection surface with an inspection robot, the apparatus comprising a position definition circuit structured to determine an inspection robot position on the inspection surface; a data positioning circuit structured to interpret inspection data, and to correlate the inspection data to the inspection robot position on the inspection surface; and wherein the data positioning circuit is further structured to determine position informed inspection data in response to the correlating of the inspection data with the inspection robot position, wherein the position informed inspection data comprises absolute position data.

In a frictional propulsion device comprising a main wheel including driven rollers rotatably supported by an annular core member about a tangential direction and a pair of drive disks each carrying a plurality of drive rollers rotatable about a rotational center line at an angle with respect to both a tangential line of the drive disk and the rotational center line of the drive disk such that the drive rollers at least partly engage the driven rollers, a diameter of a drive side contact circle is smaller than a diameter of a driven side contact circle, and the drive disks are vertically offset relative to the main wheel so that only those drive rollers adjoining the main wheel are in contact with the driven rollers.

A hub or wheel assembly includes a retaining element, biasing element, and hand-maneuverable release mechanism. The housing includes an axle bore configured to receive an axle and a pin sleeve including a first end in fluid communication with the axle bore, a second end, and a conduit between the first end and the second end. The retaining element is within the conduit and is configured to operatively engage a groove in an axle. The biasing element is within the conduit and is configured to bias the retaining element towards the axle bore. The hand-maneuverable release mechanism is configured to displace the retaining element away from the axle bore.

A mobile welding system that does not rely exclusively on a track to define the path of the welder. The present invention generally provides a mobile welder adapted to move along a work piece, the mobile welder including a chassis supporting a motor assembly; a travel assembly attached to the chassis and adapted to support the chassis over a portion of the work piece, wherein the motor is coupled to the travel assembly to selectively cause the chassis to move relative to the work piece; a controller connected to the motor assembly to control movement of the chassis relative to the work piece; a chassis holder connected to the chassis, the chassis holder being adapted to provide a force holding the chassis a selected distance from the work piece; and a welder supported on the chassis, the welder including an implement adapted to perform a welding operation, wherein the implement is supported on the chassis at a location where the implement and the chassis define an uninterrupted line of sight from the implement to the work piece, wherein the chassis holder is spaced from the line of sight a distance sufficient to prevent the chassis holder from interfering with the welding operation.

A manufacturing apparatus for a drive disk includes: an upper member and a lower member each including a base and protrusions. Each protrusion is defined by a plurality of surfaces including a first side surface inclined with respect to opposed surfaces of the drive disk and a second side surface parallel to the opposed surfaces. The first side surface of the protrusion of the upper member and the first side surface of the protrusion of the lower member are parallel to each other and face away from each other. The second side surface of the protrusion of the upper member and the second side surface of the protrusion of the lower member face away from each other. The first side surface of the protrusion of the upper member and the first side surface of the protrusion of the lower member come into contact with each other to form the slot.

An omni-directional wheel includes: a center wheel configured to rotate about a first rotation axis extending in a first direction; a plurality of peripheral wheels arranged along a circumference of the center wheel and configured to rotate about a second rotation axis extending in a second direction different from the first direction; and a plurality of variable supports provided on the center wheel and configured to respectively support the plurality of peripheral wheels. At least one of the plurality of variable supports is configured to absorb, when an impact force is applied to at least one of the plurality of peripheral wheels being supported by the at least one of the plurality of variable supports, the impact by changing a distance between the center wheel and the at least one of the plurality of peripheral wheels.

A thermal management system and methods for use are disclosed. The thermal management system comprises a shield portion and a dissipation portion. The shield portion may comprise a hot side skin, a conduction layer, an insulation layer, and a cool side skin. The dissipation portion may comprise a fin array. Heat absorbed by the shield portion is partially or fully conducted to the dissipation portion for transfer to the ambient environment. The thermal management system may be employed as an aircraft wheel heat shield, an automotive brake heat shield, a gas turbine heat shield, an electronic heat sink, and in various other applications where heat shielding and/or heat transfer are desirable.