Drifting karts in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described that include a front wheel drive train and rear caster wheels that can be dynamically engaged to induce and control drift during a turn. One embodiment of the invention includes a chassis to which a steering column is mounted, where the steering column includes at least one front steerable wheel configured to be driven by an electric motor, a battery housing mounted to the chassis, where the battery housing contains a controller and at least one battery, wiring configured to provide power from the at least one battery to the electric motor, two caster wheels mounted to the chassis, where each caster wheel is configured to rotate around a rotational axis and swivel around a swivel axis, and a hand lever configured to dynamically engage the caster wheels to induce and control drift during a turn.

The improved mobile robot utilizes a cooperative wheeled support arrangement having a unique axle design that preferably cooperates with a base support module. A tri-axle is preferably used to support at least one omni-wheel on each axle section. Multiple omni-wheels on each section can be used for higher load applications. The tri-axle is of a fixed design and each wheel pivots on the individual axle section. Preferably, the axle sections are welded to each other.

The improved mobile robot utilizes a cooperative wheeled support arrangement having a unique axle design that preferably cooperates with a base support module. A tri-axle is preferably used to support at least one omni-wheel on each axle section. Multiple omni-wheels on each section can be used for higher load applications. The tri-axle is of a fixed design and each wheel pivots on the individual axle section. Preferably, the axle sections are welded to each other.

A leaning vehicle, including a vehicle body, one steerable front wheel and two rear wheels, or two steerable front wheels and one or two rear wheels, a suspension mechanism, a steering mechanism, a steering controller, and an up-down direction acceleration detector attached to the vehicle body or the suspension mechanism. The two steerable front wheels or the two rear wheels are arranged side by side to form a left-right pair of wheels. The up-down direction acceleration detector detects an acceleration in an up-down direction of the leaning vehicle or the vehicle body, generated as one wheel in the left-right pair of wheels passes a bump or a pothole in a road. The steering controller so controls the one or two steerable front wheels that the one or two steerable front wheels are in a free-steering state, so as to swivel around a steering axis freely, based on the detected acceleration.

A three-wheeler including two front wheels and a rear wheel, left and right seats, a steering mechanism steering the front wheels, an electric motor generating a torque by electrical energy, a power transmission mechanism transmitting the torque to the front wheels, and a body frame. A center of gravity of the three-wheeler is more frontward than a front end of the two seats and than a middle point of the wheelbase, and is more rearward than a front end of the electric energy storage device. The seats is, in a top view, partially in a triangle area that has a center of each of the front wheels and the rear wheel as vertices. The electric energy storage device, in the top view, overlaps a foot-resting area and is partially in the triangle area. The electric energy storage device is between the two front wheels.

A vehicle having a front axle with a pair of front wheels having a track width adjustable between a wide track and a narrow track; a rear axle with at least one rear wheel; a steering wheel configured to control the turn of the rear wheel when the front wheels are set to the narrow track; track width control configured to change the track width of the front wheels and to change the wheel base between the front axle and the rear axle such that for the wide track of the front wheels the wheel base is longer than for the narrow track of the front wheels; a locking mechanism configured to lock the track width; wherein each of the front wheels is connected to a dedicated front wheel motor for driving that front wheel and to a dedicated front wheel brake for braking that front wheel.

The improved mobile robot utilizes a cooperative wheeled support arrangement having a unique axle design that preferably cooperates with a base support module. A tri-axle is preferably used to support at least one omni-wheel on each axle section. Multiple omni-wheels on each section can be used for higher load applications. The tri-axle is of a fixed design and each wheel pivots on the individual axle section. Preferably, the axle sections are welded to each other.

The improved mobile robot utilizes a cooperative wheeled support arrangement having a unique axle design that preferably cooperates with a base support module. A tri-axle is preferably used to support at least one omni-wheel on each axle section. Multiple omni-wheels on each section can be used for higher load applications. The tri-axle is of a fixed design and each wheel pivots on the individual axle section. Preferably, the axle sections are welded to each other.

A tractor unit is disclosed for transporting an elongated load such as a wind turbine blade or wind turbine tower segment. The tractor unit body is supported, driven and steered by a wheel set comprising at least three ground-engaging wheels. At least two of the wheels are steerable and can transform between an aligned mode of operation and a carousel mode of operation. In the aligned mode, the wheels are aligned with one another in a neutral steering position, and steerable to vary the direction of steering. In the carousel mode, the wheels of the wheel set are oriented with their axes of rotation intersecting at a substantially common vertical axis located within the lateral extent of the tractor unit body, so that when the wheels are driven the tractor unit spins about this common vertical axis. A load engagement mechanism is mounted pivotally on the tractor unit body about the common vertical axis. This allows the load engagement mechanism to be counter-rotated in an equal and opposite amount to the angular rotation of the tractor unit body in carousel mode, keeping the load in fixed position relative to the ground as the tractor unit spins.

A tractor unit is disclosed for transporting an elongated load such as a wind turbine blade or wind turbine tower segment. The tractor unit body is supported, driven and steered by a wheel set comprising at least three ground-engaging wheels. At least two of the wheels are steerable and can transform between an aligned mode of operation and a carousel mode of operation. In the aligned mode, the wheels are aligned with one another in a neutral steering position, and steerable to vary the direction of steering. In the carousel mode, the wheels of the wheel set are oriented with their axes of rotation intersecting at a substantially common vertical axis located within the lateral extent of the tractor unit body, so that when the wheels are driven the tractor unit spins about this common vertical axis. A load engagement mechanism is mounted pivotally on the tractor unit body about the common vertical axis. This allows the load engagement mechanism to be counter-rotated in an equal and opposite amount to the angular rotation of the tractor unit body in carousel mode, keeping the load in fixed position relative to the ground as the tractor unit spins.