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{{Short description|Type of omnidirectional wheel}} |
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[[Image:IlonWheelDiagram.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Mecanum wheel]] |
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[[File:Mecanum wheel control principle.svg|thumb|Movements to any directions: ''blue:'' wheel drive direction; ''red:'' vehicle moving direction. a) Moving straight ahead, b) Moving sideways, c) Moving diagonally, d) Moving around a bend, e) Rotation, f) Rotation around the central point of one axle]] |
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A '''Mecanum wheel''' is an [[wikt:omnidirectional|omnidirectional]] wheel design for a land-based [[vehicle]] to move in any direction. It is sometimes called the '''Swedish wheel''' or '''Ilon wheel''' after its inventor, Bengt Erland Ilon (1923–2008),<ref name="patent-de" /> who conceived of the concept while working as an [[engineer]] with the [[Sweden|Swedish]] company Mecanum AB, and [[patented]] it in the [[United States]] on November 13, 1972.<ref name="patent-us" /> |
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It consists of a series of rubberized external rollers set at a 45° angle to the wheel. Each wheel is independently-driven, and the direction of travel is dependent on the interaction between the directions each wheel is driven in relative to the others. |
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It is a conventional wheel with a series of rollers attached to its circumference, these rollers having an axis of rotation at 45° to the plane of the wheel in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel. As well as moving forward and backward like conventional wheels, they allow sideways movement by spinning a pair of wheels in opposite directions. |
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Uses include [[forklift]]s which require very tight maneuvering, autonomous robots, and [[wheelchair]]s. |
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| ⚫ | The US Navy bought the patent from Ilon and put researchers to work on it in the 1980s in Panama City. The Navy has used it for transporting items around ships. |
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== |
== Design == |
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[[File:Aircraft container and pallet loader Mecanum wheels.jpg|thumb|[[Ground support equipment#Container loader|Container loader]] with numerous powered Mecanum wheels for shifting and rotation of containers.]] |
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The Mecanum wheel is a form of [[tire]]less wheel, with a series of [[rubber]]ized external rollers obliquely attached to the whole circumference of its [[rim (wheel)|rim]]. These rollers typically each have an [[axis of rotation]] at 45° to the wheel [[plane (geometry)|plane]] and at 45° to the [[axle]] line.<ref name="omni" /> Each Mecanum wheel is an independent non-steering [[drive wheel]] with its own [[powertrain]], and when spinning generates a [[ground propulsion|propelling force]] perpendicular to the roller axle, which can be [[vector (mathematics and physics)|vector]]ed into a longitudinal and a transverse component in relation to the vehicle. |
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*[http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/papers.php?action=downloadpaper&paperid=556 Bengt Erland Ilon's US Patent] for ''Wheels for a course stable selfpropelling vehicle movable in any desired direction on the ground or some other base'' (.pdf file) April 8th 1975 |
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*[http://www.airtrax.com www.airtrax.com] - the video footage on this website clearly shows vehicles moving sideways, turning on the spot, moving diagonally, and combining these movements |
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The typical Mecanum design is a four-wheel configuration with an alternating with left- and right-handed rollers whose axles at the top of the wheel are parallel to the [[diagonal]] of the [[vehicle frame]] (and hence perpendicular to the diagonal when at where the bottom of the wheel contacts the ground). In such a way, each wheel will generate a [[thrust]] roughly parallel to the corresponding frame diagonal. By varying the rotational speed and direction of each wheel, the [[summation]] of the force vectors from each of the wheels will create both [[linear motion]]s and/or [[rotation]]s of the vehicle, allowing it to maneuver around with minimal need for [[space]]. For example: |
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* Running all four wheels in the same direction at the same speed will result in a forward/backward movement, as the longitudinal force vectors add up but the transverse vectors cancel each other out; |
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* Running (all at the same speed) both wheels on one side in one direction while the other side in the opposite direction, will result in a [[rotation around a fixed axis|stationary rotation]] of the vehicle, as the transverse vectors cancel out but the longitudinal vectors [[couple (mechanics)|couple]] to generate a [[torque]] around the central [[vertical axis]] of the vehicle; |
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* Running (all at the same speed) the diagonal wheels in one direction while the other diagonal in the opposite direction will result in a sideways movement, as the transverse vectors add up but the longitudinal vectors cancel out. |
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A mix of differential wheel motions will allow for vehicle motion in almost any direction with any rotation. |
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== Uses == |
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[[File:506 Pandara Drivetrain.png|thumb|FTC Team 506 Pandara's Mechanum Drivetrain from [[Palm Harbor University High School]]]] |
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[[File:Loading LD3 cargo containers onto United Boeing 777-300ER.webm|thumb|[[Unit load device|Aircraft cargo containers]] being manipulated by mecanum wheels on a [[Ground support equipment#Container loader|container loader]] while loading onto a Boeing 777]] |
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| ⚫ | The [[US Navy]] bought the patent from Ilon and put researchers to work on it in the 1980s in [[Panama City, Florida]]. The US Navy has used it for transporting items around ships. In 1997, Airtrax Incorporated and several other companies each paid the US Navy $2,500 for rights to the technology, including old drawings of how the motors and controllers worked, to build an omnidirectional [[forklift truck]] that could maneuver in tight spaces such as the deck of an [[aircraft carrier]]. These vehicles are now in production.{{cn|date=August 2024}} |
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[[Tracked vehicle]]s and [[skid steer]] vehicles utilize similar methods for turning. However, these vehicles typically drag across the ground while turning and may do considerable damage to a soft or fragile surface. The high friction against the ground while turning also requires high-torque engines to overcome the friction. By comparison, the design of the Mecanum wheel allows for in-place rotation with minimal ground friction and low torque.{{cn|date=August 2024}} |
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Youth robotics competitions such as [[FIRST Tech Challenge]] and [[VEX Robotics]] often see the use of Mecanum wheels by participating teams. The omnnidirectional movement provided by the Mecanum design can give robots additional maneuverability and flexibility for tackling the competition's goals and traversing the terrain when the configuration of the competition's playing field is suitable for the design. Many teams have adapted Mecanum wheels from suppliers such as Nexus and GoBilda, or manufacture their own.<ref name="Siacon" /> |
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The CMU URANUS Mobile Robot<ref name="Podnar" /> was the first mobile robot with Mecanum wheels built in 1985 and was used for two decades for autonomous navigation research.<ref name="Podnar-2" /> CMU's "Tessellator" robot,<ref name="Tesselator" /> designed in 1992 for servicing Space Shuttle tiles, also used Mecanum wheels.<ref name="Kim" /> |
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A [[wheelchair]] using Mecanum wheels was presented at the 2006 [[EVER Monaco]].<ref name="pege" /> |
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== See also == |
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* {{anl|Ball transfer unit}} |
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* {{anl|Omni wheel}} |
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== References == |
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{{refs|refs= |
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<ref name="Kim">{{cite book |last1=Kim |first1=Jin-Oh |last2=Khosla |first2=Pradeep |title=[1993] Proceedings IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation |chapter=Design of space shuttle tile servicing robot: An application of task based kinematic design |date=May 1993 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=867–874 |doi=10.1109/ROBOT.1993.292253|isbn=0-8186-3450-2 |s2cid=45365293 }}</ref> |
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<ref name="omni">{{cite web|url=http://ftp.mi.fu-berlin.de/Rojas/omniwheel/Diegel-Badve-Bright-Potgieter-Tlale.pdf|title=Improved Mecanum Wheel Design for Omni-Directional Robots|publisher=Institute of Technology and Engineering, Massey University|date=November 2002|access-date=2011-09-22}}</ref> |
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<ref name="patent-de">{{cite patent |country=DE |number=2354404 |status= |title=Rad Fuer Ein Laufstabiles, Selbstfahrendes Fahrzeug |pubdate= |gdate=1974-05-16 |fdate= |pridate= |inventor=Ilon Bengt Erland |invent1= |invent2= |assign1= |assign2= |class= |url=}}</ref> |
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<ref name="patent-us">{{cite patent |country=US |number=3876255 |status= |title=Wheels for a Course Stable Selfpropelling Vehicle Movable in any Desired Direction on the Ground or Some Other Base |pubdate= |gdate=1975-04-08 |fdate= |pridate= |inventor=Ilon Bengt Erland |invent1= |invent2= |assign1= |assign2= |class= |url=}}</ref> |
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<ref name="pege">{{cite web |title=Electric wheel chair with mecanum wheels |url=https://car.pege.org/2006-ever-monaco/wheel-chair.htm |publisher=Planetary Engineering Group |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613195737/https://car.pege.org/2006-ever-monaco/wheel-chair.htm |archive-date=2006-06-13}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Podnar-2">{{cite journal |last1=Podnar |first1=Gregg W. |title=The URANUS Mobile Robot |journal=Autonomous Mobile Robots Annual Report 1985, Mobile Robot Laboratory (CM U-KI-TK-86-4) |year=1985 |pages=127–129 |url=https://www.ri.cmu.edu/pub_files/pub3/moravec_hans_1985_2/moravec_hans_1985_2.pdf }}</ref> |
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<ref name="Podnar">{{Cite web |last=Podnar |first=Gregg |date=1985 |title="Uranus" |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/gwp/www/robots/Uranus.html |website=www.cs.cmu.edu}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Siacon">{{cite news |last=Siacon |first=Aleanna |date=April 2018 |title=Innovative designs we spotted at kids' robotics championship in Detroit |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2018/04/26/first-robotics-2018-frc/550690002 |work=Detroit Free Press |location=Detroit |access-date=12 June 2024}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Tesselator">{{cite web |url=https://www.ri.cmu.edu/project/tessellator/ |title=Tessellator |publisher=Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University |location=US |access-date=2024-08-10}}</ref> |
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}} |
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== External links == |
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{{commonscat|Mecanum wheels}} |
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjcyHicm3NA Airtrax video] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150416233459/http://makezine.com/2008/04/08/segways-new-rmp/ Segway RMP] Photos of a 2008 Segway robot with Mecanum wheels. |
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* [https://auto.pege.org/2006-ever-monaco/rollstuhl.wmv Video of a wheel chair with Mecanum wheels (WMV)] |
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[[Category:Swedish inventions]] |
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[[Category:Mechanisms (engineering)]] |
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[[Category:Wheels]] |
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[[Category:1973 introductions]] |
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Latest revision as of 19:54, 5 November 2024
A Mecanum wheel is an omnidirectional wheel design for a land-based vehicle to move in any direction. It is sometimes called the Swedish wheel or Ilon wheel after its inventor, Bengt Erland Ilon (1923–2008),[1] who conceived of the concept while working as an engineer with the Swedish company Mecanum AB, and patented it in the United States on November 13, 1972.[2]
It consists of a series of rubberized external rollers set at a 45° angle to the wheel. Each wheel is independently-driven, and the direction of travel is dependent on the interaction between the directions each wheel is driven in relative to the others.
Uses include forklifts which require very tight maneuvering, autonomous robots, and wheelchairs.
Design
[edit]
The Mecanum wheel is a form of tireless wheel, with a series of rubberized external rollers obliquely attached to the whole circumference of its rim. These rollers typically each have an axis of rotation at 45° to the wheel plane and at 45° to the axle line.[3] Each Mecanum wheel is an independent non-steering drive wheel with its own powertrain, and when spinning generates a propelling force perpendicular to the roller axle, which can be vectored into a longitudinal and a transverse component in relation to the vehicle.
The typical Mecanum design is a four-wheel configuration with an alternating with left- and right-handed rollers whose axles at the top of the wheel are parallel to the diagonal of the vehicle frame (and hence perpendicular to the diagonal when at where the bottom of the wheel contacts the ground). In such a way, each wheel will generate a thrust roughly parallel to the corresponding frame diagonal. By varying the rotational speed and direction of each wheel, the summation of the force vectors from each of the wheels will create both linear motions and/or rotations of the vehicle, allowing it to maneuver around with minimal need for space. For example:
- Running all four wheels in the same direction at the same speed will result in a forward/backward movement, as the longitudinal force vectors add up but the transverse vectors cancel each other out;
- Running (all at the same speed) both wheels on one side in one direction while the other side in the opposite direction, will result in a stationary rotation of the vehicle, as the transverse vectors cancel out but the longitudinal vectors couple to generate a torque around the central vertical axis of the vehicle;
- Running (all at the same speed) the diagonal wheels in one direction while the other diagonal in the opposite direction will result in a sideways movement, as the transverse vectors add up but the longitudinal vectors cancel out.
A mix of differential wheel motions will allow for vehicle motion in almost any direction with any rotation.
Uses
[edit]
The US Navy bought the patent from Ilon and put researchers to work on it in the 1980s in Panama City, Florida. The US Navy has used it for transporting items around ships. In 1997, Airtrax Incorporated and several other companies each paid the US Navy $2,500 for rights to the technology, including old drawings of how the motors and controllers worked, to build an omnidirectional forklift truck that could maneuver in tight spaces such as the deck of an aircraft carrier. These vehicles are now in production.[citation needed]
Tracked vehicles and skid steer vehicles utilize similar methods for turning. However, these vehicles typically drag across the ground while turning and may do considerable damage to a soft or fragile surface. The high friction against the ground while turning also requires high-torque engines to overcome the friction. By comparison, the design of the Mecanum wheel allows for in-place rotation with minimal ground friction and low torque.[citation needed]
Youth robotics competitions such as FIRST Tech Challenge and VEX Robotics often see the use of Mecanum wheels by participating teams. The omnnidirectional movement provided by the Mecanum design can give robots additional maneuverability and flexibility for tackling the competition's goals and traversing the terrain when the configuration of the competition's playing field is suitable for the design. Many teams have adapted Mecanum wheels from suppliers such as Nexus and GoBilda, or manufacture their own.[4]
The CMU URANUS Mobile Robot[5] was the first mobile robot with Mecanum wheels built in 1985 and was used for two decades for autonomous navigation research.[6] CMU's "Tessellator" robot,[7] designed in 1992 for servicing Space Shuttle tiles, also used Mecanum wheels.[8]
A wheelchair using Mecanum wheels was presented at the 2006 EVER Monaco.[9]
See also
[edit]- Ball transfer unit – Omnidirectional bearing
- Omni wheel – Wheel that can move along multiple axes
References
[edit]- ^ DE 2354404, Ilon Bengt Erland, "Rad Fuer Ein Laufstabiles, Selbstfahrendes Fahrzeug", issued 1974-05-16
- ^ US 3876255, Ilon Bengt Erland, "Wheels for a Course Stable Selfpropelling Vehicle Movable in any Desired Direction on the Ground or Some Other Base", issued 1975-04-08
- ^ "Improved Mecanum Wheel Design for Omni-Directional Robots" (PDF). Institute of Technology and Engineering, Massey University. November 2002. Retrieved 2011-09-22.
- ^ Siacon, Aleanna (April 2018). "Innovative designs we spotted at kids' robotics championship in Detroit". Detroit Free Press. Detroit. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ Podnar, Gregg (1985). ""Uranus"". www.cs.cmu.edu.
- ^ Podnar, Gregg W. (1985). "The URANUS Mobile Robot" (PDF). Autonomous Mobile Robots Annual Report 1985, Mobile Robot Laboratory (CM U-KI-TK-86-4): 127–129.
- ^ "Tessellator". US: Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
- ^ Kim, Jin-Oh; Khosla, Pradeep (May 1993). "Design of space shuttle tile servicing robot: An application of task based kinematic design". [1993] Proceedings IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Vol. 3. pp. 867–874. doi:10.1109/ROBOT.1993.292253. ISBN 0-8186-3450-2. S2CID 45365293.
- ^ "Electric wheel chair with mecanum wheels". Planetary Engineering Group. Archived from the original on 2006-06-13.
External links
[edit]
- Airtrax video
- Orlando Business Journal article Omnics' wheel of fortune rolls into production by Chad Eric Watt, 31 May 2002.
- The Wall Street Journal online Make It by Paulette Thomas, 9 May 2005.
- Segway RMP Photos of a 2008 Segway robot with Mecanum wheels.
- Video of a wheel chair with Mecanum wheels (WMV)