Application of a Propeller-Based Air Propulsion System to the Land-Based Holonomic Vehicle

Holonomic vehicles with wheels such as ball wheels can move in any direction without rotating. For such a system, more driving motors and precise transmission mechanisms are necessary, which makes the control and fabrication complicated. This paper aims to present the design and construction of a novel holonomic mechanism to simplify the system. Air-based propulsion was applied to a land-based holonomic vehicle. A prototype with three roller balls was developed with a propeller for the propulsion of a triangular holonomic vehicle. Only two motors were applied, one for propeller rotation and the other for the adjustment of the angle of thrust. For the establishment of the methodology, the data, including propeller size, rotation per minute, velocity, thrust, efficiency, etc., were measured or calculated. The prototype can move at a velocity of approximate 0.558 m/s with an efficiency of 18.55%. Simulation results showed that with the increase of propulsion efficiency, the velocity can achieve more than 5 m/s if the efficiency is 70%. This study is the first attempt to apply air-based propulsion to a land-based holonomic vehicle. Further, the construction method is simple and can satisfy the accuracy requirement. This design method, therefore, will contribute to the application of holonomic vehicles due to the realization of holonomic functionality and simplicity. View Full-Tex