USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Benjamin-Fausto S Thielman

Gerhard Willms Thielman

A spherical tractor operating mobile platform (STOMP) is provided for internally propelling and steering along an external surface. The STOMP includes a spherical shell having interior and exterior surfaces, an internal chassis containing an electrical power supply and a propulsion controller; a tractor drive system and an overhead wheel assembly. The tractor drive system provides propulsion and steering of the shell along the surface. The drive system includes a frame that connects to the chassis from below and contains a motor unit. The frame includes port and starboard sides that support respective wheel sets surrounded by corresponding continuous tracks. These tracks engage the shell's interior surface. Each wheel set includes a drive wheel, an idler wheel and a tension wheel for engaging a corresponding track. The overhead wheel assembly connects to the chassis from above to maintain the chassis and the drive system in compression with the shell. To propel the shell, the propulsion controller commands the motor unit to provide torque to both the port and starboard drive wheels. For steering the shell towards starboard, the motor provides torque to the port drive wheel. For steering the shell towards port, the motor provides torque to the starboard drive wheel.

Spherical tractor operating mobile platform

A spherical armored mobile platform (SAMP) is provided for at least one operator to enable protected entry and egress from a militarily hostile environment. The SAMP includes a spherical shell, an armored cockpit and a set of wheels. The spherical shell has inner and outer surfaces and features a plurality of cavities that extend therethrough. The cockpit houses a seat, a guidance controller, a display console, and an electric motor connected to a power supply. The cockpit is contained within said shell. The seat is designed to receive the operator. The wheels are driven by the motor and structurally supported by the cockpit. The wheels engage the inner surface and turn in response to the motor. The cavities are disposed within three-sided boundaries of a geodesic dome. The SAMP can further include a plurality of optical sensors disposed on the cockpit, and a signal integrator to present temporally concatenated visual signals into a mosaic at the display console. The SAMP can also include a projectile-firing gun mounted to the cockpit, and a trigger control to enable actuation of the gun in response to the projectile exiting the sphere at an instance that coincides with a cavity of the plurality of cavities. The SAMP includes a steering mechanism that turns orientation direction of the fore lower and aft upper wheels. The SAMP includes a door on the cockpit that slides between first open and closed positions, and a hatch on the sphere that hinges between second open and closed positions.

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Benjamin-Fausto S Thielman