Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Snif Labs, Inc.

Philip A Liang

Brian Chan

Jonathan Peter Gips

Ryan C Chin

William J Mitchell

Raul-David V Poblano

Axel Kilian

Peter Alfons Schmitt

Noah Shanti Paessel

Patrik Alwin Künzler

Franco H Vairani

An in-the-wheel suspension system including a drive mechanism for coupling the rotational motion of a wheel rim to the drive shaft of an electric motor and for supporting the wheel rim with respect to the vehicle chassis using one or more springs and dampers. In a hubless version, a spring member supports extend between a frame member attached to the chassis and a bearing member that engages with the rim. In a version used with a wheel hub, the hub is supported by an axle and the spring member supports the axle in movable relation to the frame member. A pivoting support arm that is attached to the axel and pivots about a pivot point attached to the frame member at a location spaced from the wheel axis may be used to support the hub. A Peaucellier linkage may be used to support the axle for movement along a straight line vertical path, the linkage being attached to the frame member at two fixed pivot points. The wheel suspension units perform all the traditional drivetrain functions independently and can be attached to the chassis in a manner that allows for easy removal.

Wheel-embedded suspension

A monitoring device is configured to be attached to an agent to be monitored. The device includes sensor circuitry that detects or measures conditions relating to the environment, the agent or the agent's behavior. A microcontroller processes the conditions to produce event data, and a wireless transmitter transmits the event data to a remote host system. The conditions can include temperature, acceleration, the presence of another tag, or other conditions relating to the agent. The event data may relate to movement of the agent, an encounter with another tag, or other behavior of the agent, and may be stored to an internal memory. The monitoring device may also include a transmitter that transmits a signal, or tag identifier, that identifies the device. The event data may be reported as information relating to the behavior of the agent.

Tag system

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Philip A Liang