A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.

A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.

A surveillance system includes a robot and an operator control unit (OCU) for controlling the robot. The robot includes a light-weight frame housing, wheels, motor compartments positioned within the light-weight frame housing, wheel motors positioned within the motor compartments and attached to the wheels, a camera for capturing surveillance images and an electronic controller that is electrically or wirelessly connected to the wheel motors and the camera and that is wirelessly connected to the OCU. The light-weight frame is made of light-weight foam that substantially surrounds, structurally supports and protects the robot wheel motors, camera and electronic controller from mechanical shock during intended use.

A motor vehicle having a vehicle body with a passenger compartment, a chassis supporting the vehicle body, a vehicle axle which can be driven by a drive device, and a seat device which is arranged inside the passenger compartment and is rotatable relative to the passenger compartment about an axis of rotation. The chassis supporting the vehicle body has only one vehicle axle, about the axis of which, the vehicle body with the passenger compartment and the seat device arranged inside the passenger compartment are rotatable relative to each other.

A motor vehicle having a vehicle body with a passenger compartment, a chassis supporting the vehicle body, a vehicle axle which can be driven by a drive device, and a seat device which is arranged inside the passenger compartment and is rotatable relative to the passenger compartment about an axis of rotation. The chassis supporting the vehicle body has only one vehicle axle, about the axis of which, the vehicle body with the passenger compartment and the seat device arranged inside the passenger compartment are rotatable relative to each other.

An electrical passenger car, the electrical passenger car comprising: at least two electrically driven motors; motor control electronics; sensors; and wheels, wherein said wheels comprise a first front wheel and a first back wheel, wherein said first back wheel has a radius at least 9% greater than a radius of said first front wheel, and wherein said motor control electronics control said at least two electrically driven motors to provide a greater torque to said front wheel than to said back wheel, or wherein said motor control electronics control said at least two electrically driven motors to provide a greater torque to said back wheel than to said front wheel.

A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets

A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a first vehicle part (16) and a second vehicle part, wherein the first vehicle part (16) comprises a first running wheel (37, 38) rotatable about a first axis of rotation (59) and the second vehicle part comprises a second running wheel rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The first running wheel (37, 38) and the second running wheel have the same miming-wheel diameter. A first bearing means for rotatably mounting the first running wheel and a second bearing means for rotatably mounting the second miming wheel are interconnected by means of a joint mechanism (17) in such a way that the orientation of the first axis of rotation (59) and of the second axis of rotation relative to each other can be varied. By means of the joint mechanism (17), the vehicle can be transferred continuously from a first driving configuration with the first and second axes of rotation inclined relative to each other into a second driving configuration with the first and second axes of rotation parallel, and in the second driving configuration a distance of a first contact surface of the first miming (37, 38) from a second contact surface of the second miming wheel is less than one tenth of the running-wheel diameter.

A linkage-based shifting assembly comprises first and second arms, having a first wheel rotatably coupled to a proximal end of the first arm and a second wheel rotatably coupled to a proximal end of the second arm. A shifting assembly is configured to couple to a chassis, wherein the shifting assembly is coupled to distal ends of the first and second arms and configured to cause a relative shifting motion between the chassis and the first and second wheels. The linkage-based shifting assembly can form part of a vehicle. The vehicle can be a two-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle can be a mobile carrier. The mobile carrier can be a two-wheeled vehicle.