A ball-balancing drive assembly includes a ball having a ball surface and a reference axis extending through a centroid of the ball. Three omniwheel assemblies, each having a motor with a motor axle and an omniwheel configured to rotate around the motor axle are mounted on a chassis configured for supporting the three omniwheel assemblies at radially symmetric spacings with the motor axles oriented at an angle relative to the reference axis and the omniwheels oriented in mutually-orthogonal planes. Each omniwheel frictionally contacts the ball surface to convert rotational motion of the motor axle to torque on the ball.

The present invention concerns a magnet-assisted ball drive. The drive comprises a ball and a drive element in contact with the ball. The drive element is arranged to be rotated around its axis of rotation to drive the ball. The ball and the drive element each comprise magnetic material such that at least one of the ball and the drive element comprises a magnet to generate a magnetic pulling force to pull the ball and the drive element against each other.

The present invention concerns a magnet-assisted ball drive. The drive comprises a ball and a drive element in contact with the ball. The drive element is arranged to be rotated around its axis of rotation to drive the ball. The ball and the drive element each comprise magnetic material such that at least one of the ball and the drive element comprises a magnet to generate a magnetic pulling force to pull the ball and the drive element against each other.

A ball-balancing robot is capable of accurately controlling its posture when a robot main body is rotated about the vertical axis in a yaw direction in a state in which the robot main body is positioned on a spherical object in a posture in which a gravity center of the robot main body matches a vertical axis passing a center of the spherical object, and in a state in which a base axis of the roll-direction angular velocity sensor is inclined with respect to the horizon in a pitch direction (at an inclination angle .sub.p), the robot main body is able to rotate while maintaining a predetermined posture by making correction to cancel a detection error in the angular velocity in the roll direction generated based on the inclination of the base axis of the roll-direction angular velocity sensor.

A spherical body drive type movement device 10 includes rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 rotating n number of driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 by being rotationally driven in a state of being in contact from two different directions with each of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13, and moves on a traveling surface G. The rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 come into contact with the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 at positions higher than centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and inside a virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H or, at positions higher than the centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and on lateral faces ?, ?, and ? of the virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H.

A spherical body drive type movement device 10 includes rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 rotating n number of driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 by being rotationally driven in a state of being in contact from two different directions with each of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13, and moves on a traveling surface G. The rotary bodies 14, 15, and 16 come into contact with the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 at positions higher than centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and inside a virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H or, at positions higher than the centers P1, P2, and P3 of the driving spherical bodies 11, 12, and 13 in contact and on lateral faces ?, ?, and ? of the virtual inverted n-gonal pyramid H.

A caster configured to be attached to an object and provide for rolling movement of the object. The caster may include a main wheel and multiple support members that contact against and support the main wheel. One or more support members include a first sphere that may contact against a top of the main wheel. One or more support members include a second sphere that may contact against the main wheel along lateral sides of the main wheel and offset from the top.

The present invention provides one or more carrier devices capable of varying contact damping with pressured displacement. The device is configured to be installed on mechanical force-receiving structures that have rolling wheels, rolling balls or slidably displaceable terminal block structure, carrying devices and transportation devices for humans or objects. When receiving pressure smaller than a set value, the device provides low contact damping and is thus easy to move. On the other hand, when receiving pressure greater than the set value, it provides high contact damping so as to prevent slip and thereby ensure safe placement. In addition, when receiving pressure smaller than the set value, the device has its pre-stressed structure generate modulation to displacement corresponding to the size of the pressure it receives for the purpose of shock absorbency.

The present disclosure relates to the field of robot technology, and discloses a spherical robot and a method of controlling the same. The spherical robot includes: a spherical shell, a spherical shell drive mechanism mounted inside the spherical shell to drive the spherical shell to spin about a center of sphere thereof, and a camera module. The spherical robot further includes a head shell in which the camera module is mounted, the head shell is located outside the spherical shell and is slideable along an outer surface of the spherical shell; and, the head shell is provided with a first magnetic component, the spherical shell drive mechanism is provided with a second magnetic component, and the first magnetic component is in a magnetic connection with the second magnetic component.

A system, apparatus and method for controlling the height of a frame of a self-propelled high ground clearance, agricultural product applicator above a ground surface utilize a trailing link suspension system including an extensible air strut, for connecting ground engaging wheels of the applicator to the frame of the applicator. The trailing arm suspension system includes an upper suspension arm attached to the frame, a lower suspension arm providing sole support of a ground engaging wheel attached to the lower arm, and the extensible air strut interconnected between the upper and lower arms. Height of the applicator above the ground surface is controlled by regulating a flow of pressurized air to the air strut, to thereby control extension of the air strut.