According News.Livedoor.com (Mar 22, 2012 / Google Translate) researchers at Kyoto University have develed a futuristic vehicle with wheels that can move in all directions.
The picture on the left shows Associate Professor Masaharu Komori of Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Engineering, riding his “Permoveh” (Personal Mobile Vehicle). The Permoveh’s drive wheels move sideways and diagonally allowing it change the direction or rotate on the spot.
Professor Komori said that these innovative drive wheels will make easier for equipment like wheelchairs to move narrow spaces such as elevators and crowded offices. In addition, since the Permoveh can move in any direction in the same way as people walk, it can be used as a personal mobility vehicle can move in harmony with people around it. Other possible applications could be conveyors and transport for factories and warehouses.
Hey, did you notice that the Permoveh’s inventor, Professor Batty (“Komori” means bat in Japanese) likes to do his hooning with his sexy slippers on?!
Taro, please insert photo.
Did you notice that Prof. Batty’s assistant is in bare feet?
Nothing new, used in expensive forklifts for years…
What’s next ? They are working on a boat that can go underwater and come back up I presume…
Actually, we sort of covered this omni-directional drive wheel topic before:
Omni-balls — robot crawler and grippers from Osaka University (news.3yen.com/2011-09-29)