Hollow, Variably Configured Segmented Wheel Suitable for Snow Travel

A highly maneuverable robot vehicle for snow travel is required for robot rescue to avalanche. The variably configured segmented wheel (VCSW) seems to be applicable because of its high surmounting capability. Formerly, this VCSW has been developed to traverse rough terrain, muddy roads, water and underwater. VCSW consists of six vanes, a hub, spokes, and a drive wheel. These vanes are pushed and towed by the eccentric hub through spokes periodically based on wheel rotation. Vane movement effectively prevents slippage and sinking in snow. Vane control was located at the wheel center in the original design, so when traversing snow surfaces, scooped-up snow caught between a vane and the vane control mechanism remained stuck in the wheel. The modification we designed for the wheel locates vane control on one side of the wheel to make the wheel center empty so that scooped-up snow is discharged efficiently, as confirmed in experiments.