A four-wheeled articulated steering vehicle for terrain exploration. The four-wheeled articulated steering vehicle has a pair of robotic tethered two-wheel vehicles that dock, lock, and drive long distances as the four-wheeled, articulated steering vehicle. Two actuated docking mechanisms attached on opposite ends of a central module of the four-wheeled vehicle enable “sit/stand” functionality. The “sit” configuration is achieved by aligning each dock mechanism parallel or nearly parallel to the surface, allowing two-wheel vehicle to detach and explore while the other remains docked and serves as a backup. While ‘sitting’, the central module rests on the ground and is outfitted with shovel-style wedges for passive anchoring. In order to “stand”, the exploring two-wheel vehicle reattaches, locks, and both dock mechanisms are rotated until each two-wheel vehicle's caster arm is upright and the central module is lifted off the ground. Once upright, each two-wheel vehicle rotates about a pivot point for articulated, all-wheel steering, which is accomplished by applying differential wheel torques.

A method for steering a gantry crane having wheel assemblies includes the steps of: initiating movement of the gantry crane; and rotating the wheel assemblies wherein the front wheel assemblies rotate in a first rotational direction and the rear wheel assemblies rotate in a second rotational direction. The first rotational direction is opposite to the second rotational direction. First side wheel assemblies rotate at a first rotational speed and second side wheel assemblies rotate at a second rotational speed, such that the gantry crane moves from a linear path to an arcuate path with a turning radius decreasing to substantially zero for rotation about a central axis.

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.

There is provided a drive assembly comprising: a reconfigurable differential drive comprising a first wheel and a second wheel, wherein the first and second wheels are moveable with different angular velocities around respective first and second rotation axes; a steering actuator configured to rotate the first wheel around a first pivot axis and/or the second wheel around a second pivot axis; wherein the first and second wheels are coupled such that a rotation of the first wheel around the first pivot axis by a first adjustment angle results in a rotation of the second wheel around the second pivot axis by a second adjustment angle, the second adjustment angle being dependent on the first adjustment angle.

A steering control unit and to a method of controlling the steering of a multi-unit vehicle is provided, the vehicle having a plurality of vehicle parts movably connected to one another and a plurality of steerable axle units. A first axle control unit is in conjunction with a first steerable axle unit and at least one second axle control unit is in conjunction with at least one second steerable axle unit. The steering control system has a central control module that is connected to the axle control units via a common data line for exchange of steering angle data. The axle control units have data interfaces for communication via the data line. The data interfaces transfer mutually identical data formats, whereby the steering control system is set up in a modular manner with a variable number of axle control units that can be integrated.

Crawl operations for four-wheel steering vehicles are described herein. An example vehicle described herein includes four wheels, a front steering actuator to turn the front wheels, a rear steering actuator to turn the rear wheels, a front drive motor to drive the front wheels, and a rear drive motor to drive the rear wheels. The vehicle also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) to activate the front steering actuator to turn the front wheels in a first direction, activate the rear steering actuator to turn the rear wheels in a second direction opposite the first direction such that the front wheels and the rear wheels are turned in opposite directions, activate the front drive motor to drive the front wheels in a reverse direction, and activate the rear drive motor to drive the rear wheels in a forward direction while the front wheels are driven in the reverse direction.

A steering control device for reducing a steering load on the driver by adjusting a gain of a rear wheel steering angle with respect to a front wheel steering angle operated by the driver according to a relative relationship between the vehicle and the parking frame to enable fine steering of the own vehicle near the parking frame when the four-wheel steering vehicle is parked. The steering control device is configured to control a rear wheel steering angle by a rear wheel steering system based on a front wheel steering angle operated by a driver, and includes an arithmetic device configured to reduce an absolute value of a gain of the rear wheel steering angle with respect to the front wheel steering angle as a positional relationship between an own vehicle and a parking frame comes closer when an own vehicle shifts to a parking driving mode.

Provided is a steering device of an independent drive wheel, the steering device including a base frame coupled to a vehicle body; a drive device coupled to the base frame and driven to rotate an output shaft; a steering knuckle connecting the base frame and the wheel through an upper arm and a lower arm spaced apart from each other in the up/down direction; and a connecting device having one end connected to the output shaft of the drive device and the other end, which extends in the longitudinal direction, connected to a steering knuckle below the upper arm to transmit the driving force of a drive device to rotate the steering knuckle in the same direction as the extending longitudinal direction.

An integrated control apparatus for in-wheel system vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a shift button for a shift control and a dial for a steering control which are assembled integrally to each other to form one integrated component. The apparatus provides a driver with vehicle information through an operation of the dial when the steering control is not performed, and eliminates a risk of accidents occurring due to a control error by configuring a shift control manner and a steering control manner to be different from each other.

A trailer assembly includes first and second axles supporting first and second wheels which are coupled to first and second actuators of a steering system. The steering system includes a control circuit connected to the actuators and the control circuit includes a driving device configurable in a low speed maneuvering mode with: a synchronized sub-mode in which the actuators can be actuated in a synchronized manner to steer the wheels in a synchronized manner, and a desynchronized sub-mode in which the first and second actuators can be actuated individually and independently to steer only the first wheels or only the second wheels. A control device is connected to the driving device to: select one of the sub-modes in the low speed maneuvering mode, and select an actuation either of the first actuator or of the second actuator, in the desynchronized sub-mode.