Bradley university grad student [Curtis Boirum] has built a robot which uses quite a special drive system, one we’re guessing you have never seen before. The robot uses a single motor to drive its hemispherical omnidirectional gimbaled wheel, propelling it across the floor at fantastic speeds with uncanny agility.
The robot uses a basic two axis gimbal for movement, which houses a small brushless RC airplane motor. The motor spins a rubber wheel at high speeds, which propels the robot in any direction at the flick of a switch, thanks to a pair of RC servos. When the servos tilt the gimbal, they change which side of the wheel is touching the ground as well as the gear reduction, eliminating the need for a mechanical transmission or standard steering mechanism.
While he originally thought that he had developed the concept, [Curtis] found that this technology was nearly 100 years old, but that a lot of people had forgotten about it. We’re pretty sure people will remember it this time around. how could you not, after enjoying the demo video we have embedded below?
We think it’s a terrific concept, and we can’t wait to see what other robot home builders make with this technology.
[via Gizmodo]