Personal mobility vehicles and methods
View Patent ↗A class of transportation vehicles for carrying an individual over ground having a surface that may be irregular. This embodiment has a motorized drive, mounted to the ground-contacting module that causes operation of the vehicle in an operating position that is unstable with respect to tipping when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered.
1. A device for carrying a user characterized by a characteristic area in a plane parallel to an underlying surface, the device comprising:
a. a platform for supporting the user;
b. a ground-contacting module which propels the platform over the underlying surface, the ground-contacting module including separately rotatable ground-contacting members and having an area substantially equal to the characteristic area of the user; and
c. a motorized drive arrangement coupled to the ground-contacting module which causes, when powered, operation of the device in an operating position that allows for leaning and that is unstable with respect to tipping in the fore-aft plane when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered, in such a manner that leaning of the device is not cancelled while the device is in motion.
2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the ground-contacting members are wheels.
3. A device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the ground-contacting members are exactly two laterally disposed wheels.
4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controllable by the user.
5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controllable by leaning of the user.
6. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controlled solely by leaning of the user.
7. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controlled by an orientation of the user with respect to the platform.
8. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controllable by a user input device for receiving an indication from the user of a direction of desired movement.
9. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement is controllable by a user input device for receiving an indication from the user of a direction of desired movement of the vehicle and for causing in response thereto the device to lean in the direction of desired movement.
10. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further including a motorized drive arrangement controller that causes the vehicle to be propelled at a specified velocity wherein such specified velocity may be arbitrarily close to zero velocity.
11. A vehicle in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the specified velocity is specifiable by the user.
12. A device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the specified velocity is specifiable by a user input device.
13. A device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the specified velocity is specifiable by leaning of the user on the ground-contacting module.
14. A device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the specified velocity is specifiable by orientation of the user with respect to the ground-contacting module.
15. A device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the specified velocity is specifiable by a distribution of weight of a payload including the user with respect to the ground-contacting module.
16. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein operation of the device includes locomotion.
17. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further including a motorized drive arrangement controller that causes the device to stand substantially at a specified location.
18. A device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the motorized drive arrangement controller is capable of causing the device to stand substantially at a specified location.
19. A method for using a vehicle to carry a user having two feet, the feet of the user defining a characteristic area in a standing position, the method comprising:
a. positioning the user on a platform, the platform coupled to a ground-contacting module which propels the platform over an underlying surface, the ground-contacting module including separately rotatable ground-contacting members and having an area substantially equal to the characteristic area of the user; and
b. operating a motorized drive arrangement coupled to the ground-contacting module which causes, when powered, operation of the device in an operating position that allows for leaning and that is unstable with respect to tipping in the fore-aft plane when the motorized drive arrangement is not powered and in such a manner than leaning of the device is not cancelled while the device is in motion.
20. A method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the ground-contacting members are wheels.
21. A method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the ground-contacting members are exactly two laterally disposed wheels.