Carnegie Mellon University

Polaris Industries Inc.

Matthew Glisson

Edward Mutschler

Richard Pantaleo

Dimitrios Apostolopoulos

Karl Muecke

Nishant Pol

Herman Herman

Richard Joseph Connell

Bradley Roy Fishburn

Joshua T Lawson

Matthew B Levine

Gabriel A Marshall

Gabriel Goldman

Blair A Donat

Michael J Fuchs

Andrew C Schmid

Raphael Bouterige

Suryansh Saxena

Stephen Novick

Prasanna Kannappan

Louis Hiener

Krishna Pandravada

Michael Miller

Raymond Russell

The Reconfigurable Wheel-Track (RWT) device is a novel mechanism that allows a wheel to transform into a track, and vice versa. The wheel mode allows a vehicle to travel quickly over smooth and semi-rough terrain, then, on-the-fly, transform rapidly into a powered track mode for crossing extreme terrain. The reconfigurable wheeltrack device comprises several main components: an outer tire/tread, a drive mechanism for driving the tread when in track mode and a reconfiguration mechanism that facilitates the transformation from wheel mode to track mode and vice versa. The reconfigurable wheel-track includes sensing, actuation, and controls to facilitate efficient and effective transitions, and securely maintain each wheel and track shape.

Reconfigurable wheel-track assembly with bowtie configuration

The Reconfigurable Wheel-Track (RWT) is a novel mechanism that allows a wheel to transform into a track, and vice-versa. The wheel permits a vehicle to travel quickly over smooth and semi-rough terrain, then, on-the-fly, transform rapidly into a powered track for crossing extreme terrain. The reconfigurable wheel-track consists of several main components: an outer tire/tread, drive mechanisms for the wheel and track, support mechanisms for the outer tread when in either wheel mode or track mode, and a reconfiguration mechanism that facilitates the transformation from a wheel to a track and vice-versa. The reconfigurable wheel-track includes sensing, actuation, and controls to facilitate efficient and effective transition from wheel to track and vice-versa, and securely maintain each shape.

Reconfigurable wheel-track assembly with half-moon configuration

An aquatic vessel, illustratively a pontoon boat including a thruster system is disclosed. The aquatic vessel executes a process to automatically position the aquatic vessel relative to a target location such as a mooring implement. Exemplary mooring implements include a dock, a slip, or a lift.

System and method for positioning an aquatic vessel

Reconfigurable wheel-track for all-terrain mobility

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Matthew Glisson