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 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.

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.

An amphibious vehicle, which enables wave making resistance upon traveling on water to be reduced and propulsive performance of its vehicle main body to be improved, is to be provided. An amphibious vehicle of the present invention includes: a vehicle main body that is movable on water and on land; a rear portion flap having a front end portion fixed to a rear portion of the vehicle main body; and end plates respectively provided at both side end portions of the rear portion flap.

An amphibious pumping vehicle has a floatable vehicle body, a ground engaging propulsion structure, a fluid pump, a plurality of fluid nozzles comprising a first fluid nozzle connected by a fluid conduit to the fluid pump and at least one second fluid nozzle connected to the fluid conduit, a valve structure in the fluid conduit, the plurality of fluid nozzles and the valve structure co-operating to provide directional control and motive power for the vehicle when floating, and a power source configured to provide power to both the ground engaging propulsion structure and the fluid pump.

An amphibious vehicle includes: an engine; at least one land traveling device; at least one water propelling device; a power distribution device configured to distribute power outputted from the engine between land travel power to be supplied to the at least one land traveling device and water propulsion power to be supplied to the at least one water propelling device; a slippage-amount detection device configured to detect a slippage amount of the at least one land traveling device relative to ground; and a controller configured to adjust at least the land travel power, of the land travel power and the water propulsion power, on the basis of the slippage amount detected by the slippage-amount detection device. The controller is configured to reduce the land travel power if the slippage amount detected by the slippage-amount detection device is greater than a threshold while the land travel power and the water propulsion power are supplied respectively to the at least one land traveling device and the at least one water propelling device for landing from water to land.