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Inward Slanted Diwheel

The soilder sits inside of the circumference of the treads of a tank
  (+4, -3)
(+4, -3)
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If you know what a monowheel is then you might know what I'm talking about. It's basically a unicycle where you sit inside the wheel. The problem with this you have to lean from one side to the other to steer. In a diwheel that has two wheels you can steer by running them in different directions like a tank. But the problem with both the monowheel and the diwheel is that when you brake you run the risk of "gerbling" this is when you get pulled around with the wheel. To stop this problem that would impair your driving (and maybe cause you to lose your lunch) I was thinking you could just slant the top of the wheels in at an angle. This way it would be less likely to flip you completely. And since you'll have tank treads it won't matter that your riding on the corner of the rims.
silentman, Apr 02 2006

Monowheels http://www.dself.ds...torwhl/motorwhl.htm
[silentman, Apr 02 2006]

Diwheels http://www.dself.ds...diwheel/diwheel.htm
[silentman, Apr 02 2006]

"Gerbilling" http://www.mtek.cha...jes/doc/hjulet.mpeg
[silentman, Apr 02 2006]

[link]






       I thought "gerbiling" was what Richard Gere does.   

       If you are using tank treads, you don't need a round wheel, do you? Make them flat bottomed like any other tank.   

       If you are using round wheels, tilting them inward would do nothing to prevent gerbiling--you'd just roll upside down anyhow, then fall over to the side.   

       If you are talking about putting funny treads on a wheel to prevent running on part of the sidewall, it's probably not needed.   

       Can you do a picture? I'm imagining a front view like this: /.\ which wouldn't prevent gerbilling.
baconbrain, Apr 02 2006
  

       + I was just pondering a "Tri-wheel" the other day. Very odd. /I\ I did not get very far in the thinking process, but I thought the center wheel would be larger. (I thought that might prevent the gerbilling).
Zimmy, Apr 02 2006
  

       Most designs, I notice in your links, rely on a low centre of gravity to increase the stability.
I think there might be another way: Use a large lighter than air object which is fixed to the top of the wheel. Unfortunately, this would bring other disadvantages...
Ling, Apr 02 2006
  

       The antidote to gerbils is gimbals.
bungston, Apr 03 2006
  

       Star Wars tank?
DesertFox, Apr 11 2006
  

       //If you are using round wheels, tilting them inward would do nothing to prevent gerbiling//   

       I disagree. Viewed from the side, the wheels would appear elliptical and so resist gerbilling as claimed; the centre of gravity would rise more for a given forward tilt angle. I'd guess the effect would be small (+).
spidermother, Mar 31 2007
  

       Hey, good point. I never thought of that. But it would be a small effect, I think. I'll see if I can work out the geometry.
baconbrain, Mar 31 2007
  
      
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