Launch of 'transforming wheel' to help wheelchairs climb stairs

Reuters reported on November 14 that researchers in South Korea have just developed a type of wheel that can flexibly change shape when encountering terrain.

With the above design, the research team at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has created a wheel that can move stably on flat terrain but the wheel shape will change when encountering obstacles.

This allows wheelchairs equipped with this type of wheel to climb stairs and move on rough roads, while the wheel will change its hardness in real time without the use of manual machinery. This design also helps the vehicle overcome obstacles up to 1.3 times the radius of the wheel.

The research team tested the stair climbing ability of the wheel.

Song Sung-Hyuk, a principal researcher at KIMM, said the team aims to design a wheel that can be used on vehicles traveling at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, according to Reuters. He added that current airless tires are flexible but still have limitations when it comes to off-roading.

In the video testing the wheel's capabilities, the team of scientists simulated a wheelchair climbing stairs with 18cm high steps, the same type of 4-wheeled vehicle moving over a large rock block.

The aforementioned "morphing wheel" consists of an outer chain ring and a series of spokes connected to the hub. The stiffness of the spokes will be automatically adjusted by sensors according to each type of terrain.

The wheel changes shape when it encounters a large rock.

The KIMM team hopes to expand the application of the wheel to include use on 2- and 4-legged robots, which are prone to vibration and limited movement. The flexible wheel solution will ensure load carrying and stable movement in industrial environments. The product was also published in the scientific journal Science Robotics in August.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ra-mat-banh-xe-bien-hinh-giup-xe-lan-leo-cau-thang-185241114195144566.htm