초록 ▼

There is provided, in a preferred embodiment, a transportation vehicle for transporting an individual over ground having a surface that may be irregular. This embodiment has a support for supporting the subject. A ground-contacting module, movably attached to the support, serves to suspend the subje

There is provided, in a preferred embodiment, a transportation vehicle for transporting an individual over ground having a surface that may be irregular. This embodiment has a support for supporting the subject. A ground-contacting module, movably attached to the support, serves to suspend the subject in the support over the surface. The orientation of the ground-contacting module defines fore-aft and lateral planes intersecting one another at a vertical. The support and the ground-contacting module are components of an assembly. A motorized drive, mounted to the assembly and coupled to the ground-contacting module, causes locomotion of the assembly and the subject therewith over the surface. Finally, the embodiment has a control loop, in which the motorized drive is included, for dynamically enhancing stability in the fore-aft plane by operation of the motorized drive in connection with the ground-contacting module. The ground contacting module may be realized as a pair of ground-contacting members, laterally disposed with respect to one another. The ground-contacting members may be wheels. Alternatively, each ground-contacting member may include a duster of wheels. In another embodiment, each ground-contacting member includes a pair of axially adjacent and rotatably mounted arcuate element pairs. Related methods are also provided.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A vehicle, for transporting a human subject over a surface that may be irregular, the vehicle comprising:(a) a support for supporting the subject, the support having left and right sides and defining fore-aft and lateral planes;(b) a ground-contacting module, including a

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A vehicle, for transporting a human subject over a surface that may be irregular, the vehicle comprising:(a) a support for supporting the subject, the support having left and right sides and defining fore-aft and lateral planes;(b) a ground-contacting module, including a pair of ground-contacting members, laterally disposed with respect to one another, movably attached to the support, for suspending the subject in the support over the surface, the support and the ground-contacting module being components of an assembly;(c) a motorized drive arrangement, mounted to the assembly for causing locomotion of the assembly and the subject over the surface; and(d) a control loop, in which the motorized drive is included, for dynamically maintaining stability in the fore-aft plane by operation of the motorized drive arrangement so that the net torque experienced by the assembly about the point of contact with the surface, taking into account torques caused by gravity as well as by all other external forces and by the motorized drive, causes a desired acceleration and sustained locomotion of the assembly, such stability being maintained even while the assembly experiences varying forces and accelerations;wherein the control loop is configured so that fore and aft sustained motion of the vehicle is controlled by fore and aft leaning of the vehicle caused by the subject, and in maintaining stability in the fore-aft plane the control loop does not cancel out such leaning under normal conditions of locomotion.