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Canadian Man Invented a Wheel That Can Make Cars Move Sideways (nationalpost.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the end-of-parallel-parking dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Canadian man William Liddiard invented a wheel that allows vehicles to move sideways. "True all-way drive for anything with wheels," Liddiard says in an online writeup for his successful prototype of "omni-directional" wheels. They consist of a specialized roller-equipped rim that can move horizontally and a tire that is rounded like a donut. "This is a world first bolt-on application for anything with wheels," wrote Liddiard. "Now you can drive in all directions, and turn on the spot, when needed." His demo video titled "you've never seen a car do this...," has received more than 1.1 million views since it was uploaded on May 10th. The wheels are a "proof of concept" prototype right now, but Liddiard says the design would allow them to be made as durable and safe as standard automotive wheels. Omni-directional wheels are nothing new, though they are typically only used in wheelchairs, robotics and other small-scale applications. Honda Motor Co. debuted an omni-directional wheel at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, but it wasn't for a full-sized car -- it was for a Segway-style mobility device. "My wheel can hold ten times more than the other [wheels], while maintaining speed," Liddiard told Postmedia in an interview earlier this year. He's currently trying to sell his invention to a major tire or automotive company.

4 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In a forklift, maybe. In a car? Never.

    1. Re:Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It is called a Mecanum wheels
      Originally invented by Bengt Ilon of Mecanum AB.
      The patent was then bought by the US Navy and they have licensed the technology to Airtrax among others.

      William Liddiards wheel appears to me to be sufficiently different to not infringe on that patent but it looks very close to Hondas Omni Traction Drive System with an extra rubber ring on it.

  2. Questions by EricTDuckman1414 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How do the rollers get power, how does the driver control the roller speed and direction, what kind of wear and tear does the tire experience when it is twisting like a smoke ring, will the tires slip on the rollers when the brakes are applied, and what's to keep the tires from coming off the rollers at high speeds or while braking? It sure seems to be adding a lot of moving parts to a simple, proven design just to make it easier to park without having to change the way the wheels are mounted to the car. It looks cool, though.

  3. Re:Umm... No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For indoors use the Mecanum wheel was invented in the 70's and have been used by the US Navy since the 80's.
    This solution is more obvious and less capable than the 40+ year old alternative.
    Robot example
    Forklift example