Segmented wheels offer advantages in storage space of closely packed segments as compared to whole wheels. Individually damaged or worn segments may be replaced in the field with little or no need for jacks or cranes to support the rest of the vehicle, and entire wheels may be replaced or reconfigured from one tread type to another by swapping out segments not in contact with the ground and then driving the vehicle a distance which is a fraction of the circumference of its wheels to expose the remaining segments for retrofit. Segments may be freely supported by rigid or compliant spokes or may be bound together by straps or designed to interlock with adjacent segments. Embodiments of the invention may be made in any size range including applications for bicycles, agricultural machinery, cars, trucks and mining machinery and vehicles.

A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.

A wheel for a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a shopping cart) can include a housing assembly and a tread assembly. The housing assembly can be configured to sealingly house electronics or other components. The tread assembly can removably mate with the housing assembly such that the electronics or other components remain closed and/or sealed within the housing assembly when the tread assembly is mated or unmated with the housing assembly.

Disclosed are a wheel for a lawn mower robot and the lawn mower robot including the same. A wheel for a lawn mower robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a structure in which grass seeds can be discharged during a rotation of the wheel.

Accordingly, grass seeds are sown as the lawn mower robot travels while performing a lawn mowing task. Therefore, a task of mowing the lawn and a task of sowing seeds can be performed in a unified manner. In other words, the lawn can be managed more efficiently.

A new system a comprising a balanced belt that forms a ring around a wheel rim and enables smart wheel functionalities as positioning, sensing, actuation and communication hub is presented. The belt can be implemented as a removable apparatus locked around the wheel rim or as an integrate apparatus embedded in the wheel rim by a proper wheel rim manufacturing modification. The belt contains a tank filled with a sealing foam, which, in the event of a punctured tire, can be expelled out of the tank and injected into the inner part of the tire to repair the hole. With respect to the state-of-the-art systems, the proposed self-repairing tire solution, allows to avoid the cumbersome manual tire repairing operations, to save driver stress and time and to enhance car safety. Moreover, the proposed apparatus, by preserving punctured tire damaging, is very cost-effective respect to competitor solutions and contributes to carbon dioxide emission reduction. Finally, the proposed system is easy assembling, adaptable to different wheel rim sizes and reusable in case of car replacement.

A new system a comprising a balanced belt that forms a ring around a wheel rim and enables smart wheel functionalities as positioning, sensing, actuation and communication hub is presented. The belt can be implemented as a removable apparatus locked around the wheel rim or as an integrate apparatus embedded in the wheel rim by a proper wheel rim manufacturing modification. The belt contains a tank filled with a sealing foam, which, in the event of a punctured tire, can be expelled out of the tank and injected into the inner part of the tire to repair the hole. With respect to the state-of-the-art systems, the proposed self-repairing tire solution, allows to avoid the cumbersome manual tire repairing operations, to save driver stress and time and to enhance car safety. Moreover, the proposed apparatus, by preserving punctured tire damaging, is very cost-effective respect to competitor solutions and contributes to carbon dioxide emission reduction. Finally, the proposed system is easy assembling, adaptable to different wheel rim sizes and reusable in case of car replacement.

Disclosed is a vehicle with only two parallel independent drive wheels, capable of moving on a solid or semi-solid ground, as well as on water if provided with blades on the wheels. The vehicle is stable in that it has a unit for lowering the center of gravity, which are housed in the wheels, which are in turn internally hollow for this purpose.

Disclosed is a vehicle with only two parallel independent drive wheels, capable of moving on a solid or semi-solid ground, as well as on water if provided with blades on the wheels. The vehicle is stable in that it has a unit for lowering the center of gravity, which are housed in the wheels, which are in turn internally hollow for this purpose.

Disclosed is a vehicle with only two parallel independent drive wheels, capable of moving on a solid or semi-solid ground, as well as on water if provided with blades on the wheels. The vehicle is stable in that it has a unit for lowering the center of gravity, which are housed in the wheels, which are in turn internally hollow for this purpose.

Disclosed is a vehicle with only two parallel independent drive wheels, capable of moving on a solid or semi-solid ground, as well as on water if provided with blades on the wheels. The vehicle is stable in that it has a unit for lowering the center of gravity, which are housed in the wheels, which are in turn internally hollow for this purpose.