Robotic devices that can be utilized on pipes of any material and of a variety of pipe diameters are provided. The robotic device utilizes a ducted fan to create the normal forces needed to adhere to any part of a pipe. The chassis of the device can be segmented to allow for application on various diameter pipes.

A trailer jack and transport system providing improved rolling and steerable motion to sport, recreational and utility trailers, when operating on diverse kinds of ground surfaces, including pavement, dirt, sand, and mud, without use of caster-style wheels. The trailer jack and transport system employs a spherical load-bearing transport ball supported within a frame assembly and configured to allow the spherical wheel to freely rotate in any orientation, on ground surfaces of a diverse nature during system operation.

A crawler maps a structure by moving at least longitudinally or circumferentially on the structure. A probe scans the structure to generate scan data corresponding to the structure. A distance measuring unit measures a distance of the probe from a landmark extending circumferentially around the structure. An orientation sensor determines an orientation of the crawler on the structure. A processor generates a map of the scan data of the structure indexed by the distance and orientation.

An omnidirectional wheel and a three-wheeled vehicle using the same are provided. The omnidirectional wheel includes a tire that is formed in the shape of an open torus having an open portion and a main rotation unit that is connected to the tire to rotate the tire about a main rotation axis passing through the center of an inner opening formed in a circular hole shape by the tire. A circumferential rotation unit connects opposite ends of the tire that form the open portion therebetween and rotates the tire about a circumferential axis formed in a circumferential direction of the tire to move the tire in a direction parallel to the main rotation axis.

A wheel holding device holding a wheel including an annular-shaped core body and a plurality of free rollers rotatably supported by the core body includes a central member including an outer peripheral part capable of expanding and contracting in a radial direction. The central member holds the wheel with the outer peripheral part of the central member urging an inner peripheral part of the wheel radially outward. The central member may include a chuck, a plurality of bases which are radially movably supported by the chuck and form the outer peripheral part of the central member, and a plurality of urging members which urge the respective bases radially outward with respect to the chuck.

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 robotic vehicle chassis is provided. The robotic vehicle chassis includes a first chassis section, a second chassis section, and a hinge joint connecting the first and second chassis sections such that the first and second chassis sections are capable of rotation with respect to each other in at least a first direction. The vehicle includes a drive wheel mounted to one of the first and second chassis sections and an omni-wheel mounted to the other of the first and second chassis sections. The omni-wheel is mounted at an angle orthogonal with respect to the drive wheel. The hinge joint rotates in response to the curvature of a surface the vehicle is traversing.

An embodiment relates to an omnidirectional chassis for a gantry of a computed tomography device. The omnidirectional chassis includes a first pair of omnidirectional wheels; and a first wheel suspension for the first pair of omnidirectional wheels. The first wheel suspension includes a connecting unit to connect the first wheel suspension to a rack; a swivel unit connected to the connecting unit via a first swivel bearing and swivel-mounted about a first swivel axis relative to the connecting unit; and a tandem unit, connected to the swivel unit via a second swivel bearing and swivel-mounted about a second swivel axis. In an embodiment, the first pair of omnidirectional wheels is coupled to the tandem unit such that, on a swivel movement of the tandem unit about the second swivel axis, one omnidirectional wheel of the first pair of omnidirectional wheels is relatively raised and another omnidirectional wheel is relatively lowered.

A multiple directional wheel including a wheel frame comprising identical component parts. Each of the wheel frame components comprise: a hub having a main axis about which the multiple directional wheel is adapted to rotate; a hub rim radially surrounding the hub; a first plurality (four shown) of peripheral roller supporting arms (“first arms”) radially extending from the hub rim and aligned in a first plane; and a second plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms (“second arms”), each member arm of the second plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms having a radially inner base and being circumferentially offset with respect to diagonally adjacent members of the first plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms. Each of the wheel frame components further comprise a plurality of beams corresponding to the number of member arms of the second plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms, each respective beam extending from the hub rim to a corresponding inner base of a member arm of the second plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms, and a plurality of spigots extending from each corresponding one of the plurality of beams or the inner bases. The second plurality of peripheral roller supporting arms lie in a second plane normal to the main axis, spaced from, and parallel to, the first plane; and each of the spigots from one of the wheel frame components is received in a recess formed in a facing surface of a complementary one of the wheel frame components to join the wheel frame components to form the wheel frame.

The present utility model refers to a rolling device and, more particularly, an improved multi-directional ball caster-type device having a better contact angle between the ball and the ground. The contact angle of the present improved device is from 62° to 50°, or less. As the contact angle can be smaller, the object supported on the rolling system can be more sloped, for example, a luggage case, without having friction between the main ball involving structure and the ground.