The present invention provides an apparatus, method and system for utilizing commercial cargo containers. The present invention utilizes containers made autonomous by coupling a container with a detachable propulsion system, having a motor and navigation and steering controls, permitting the rapid, controlled, efficient and safe delivery of cargo containers individually by water. Ballast units, deployment systems and control via remote units are also disclosed. The containers, utilizing their inherent buoyancy, can move autonomously according to a preplanned or remote controlled route to a specific location.

An amphibious caterpillar vehicle includes a central body of a second buoyancy material of a track shoe is disposed between a pair of wheels. An engagement body of the second buoyancy material of the track shoe is inserted into a buoyancy material engagement groove of each of the wheels so that a driving force is transferred from a driving sprocket to a caterpillar track. A coupling force between driving sprockets and track shoes forming a caterpillar track increases so that the caterpillar track is able to stably receive the driving force without slipping from the driving sprockets.

Techniques are directed to a modular vehicle belly armor kit, as well as systems and methods which utilize such a kit. The kit includes a bottom plate, a top plate, and a plurality of wall sections connecting with the bottom plate and the top plate to form an armor structure that protects a belly portion of the vehicle. After the modular vehicle belly armor kit is positioned underneath a vehicle, the bottom plate may be placed in contact with the vehicle. After the bottom plate is placed in contact with the vehicle, the bottom plate may be fastened to vehicle.

The present invention provides an apparatus, method and system for utilizing commercial cargo containers. The present invention utilizes containers made autonomous by coupling a container with a detachable propulsion system, having a motor and navigation and steering controls, permitting the rapid, controlled, efficient and safe delivery of cargo containers individually by water. Ballast units, deployment systems and control via remote units are also disclosed. The containers, utilizing their inherent buoyancy, can move autonomously according to a preplanned or remote controlled route to a specific location.

A Pulsed Locomotor (120), for propelling media, fluids and crafts, in fluids and on land, comprising a blade (124) securely connected to a drive shaft (122). Upon reciprocation, the ambient medium is forced towards the trailing edge of the blade (124) thereby causing a reactive locomotion of the apparatus, substantially along the plane of the blade. Apparatus is secured to motor M by fastening through aperture (130). The apparatus can be operated directly by motor M, and indirectly by the reaction momentum imparted to a supporting platform P. Thrust is directed by steering handle (128) about a bearing (126), rotatably coupling to platform P and base C. Lubricant L is supplied to outlets (134) via conduit (136) and inlet (132), to coat the apparatus with a lubricant cavity, for drag reduction. The blade (124) planes along a figure 8 reciprocation path s1e1s2e2s1. Crafts are embodied.

A maneuverable platform capable of operating on both fluid bodies (e.g., lakes, rivers, oceans, etc. in either liquid or frozen form) and land is provided. The platform has an above water portion formed of one or more sections onto discrete sections of which are positioned a number of buoyant propulsion members configured to support the above water portion and engage a fluid body or the ground to collectively provide support, propulsion and steering for the platform. The buoyant propulsion members are configured such that they provide buoyancy to the platform when the platform is at rest and lift when the platform reaches a specified hydrodynamic speed such that the platform planes atop the fluid of the fluid body during operation. The maneuverable platform, including the above water portion and the buoyant propulsion members, may be modular such that the platform may be split into sections of predetermined configuration to operate independently.

A transmission for a vehicle, particularly a skid-steered vehicle, that employs motive power from a prime mover delivered through an input shaft to drive left and right drive shafts at a nominal speed and input power from an electric motor to vary the speed of the left and right drive shafts according to steering commands from a steering control structure. The speed of the left and right drive shafts is directly related to a speed of the input shaft and the nominal speed of the left or right drive shaft is varied upwardly or downwardly by a ratio of the speed of the steering shaft via a speed varying structure. The speed of the left and right drive shafts is simultaneously varied in opposite directions (i.e. upwardly and downwardly) relative to the nominal speed by an equal number of rotations.

An amphibious robot is provided. An aspect of the robot includes an elongated flexible body, actuators in the flexible body and spaced apart along a length of the flexible body. The actuators are configured to move the flexible body in a serpentine or concertina motion on land and in water. An additional aspect includes a camera coupled adjacent to an end of the flexible body, at least one sensor coupled to the flexible body, and a buoyancy controller located in the flexible body. Another aspect includes a power source coupled to the flexible body and configured to power the actuators, the camera, the sensors, and the buoyancy controller. Yet another aspect employs an electric controller to control the actuators and receive data from the sensors.

To provide an amphibious vehicle that can reduce wave drag at the time of hydroplaning and can improve propulsion performance of the vehicle body. An amphibious vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body capable of moving on water and on land, a front flap with a rear end being fixed to a lower end of the vehicle body, a rear flap with a front end being fixed to a rear part of the vehicle body, and a pair of keels provided along a travel device provided on both sides of the vehicle body on a bottom surface of the vehicle body.

Vehicle comprising a hull and motorised aquatic propulsion members and motorised land propulsion members, this vehicle being able to move between a navigation position and a land transport position in which it rests on sets of caterpillar tracks. Each set of caterpillar tracks (1) is equipped with an even number of rollers (7) so as to define a set of adjacent roller pairs (71, 72). The rollers (71, 72) of each pair are connected to the chassis (2) by suspension means comprising a set (12) of at least two superposed curved elastic leaves made of a fibre-reinforced thermosetting resin, namely an upper leaf (131) and a lower leaf (132), the set being fixed on the one hand to the axles (9) of the rollers (71, 72) at its respective ends and, on the other hand, to the chassis (2) in its central part, and the upper leaf (13i) and the lower leaf (132) of each of the sets of leaves (12) are joined together and covered with a layer of elastomer (14).