Liddiard Wheels: Omni-directional wheels for the car, taking the parking function of any complexity

A driver from Canada named William Liddard developed a new type of wheels that can move a car in any direction independently. Car engine is not used. Working as a driver of large vehicles, Liddard repeatedly encountered the difficulty of performing automobile maneuvers in a confined space. Almost all drivers are familiar with this problem, but he himself decided to find a way to solve the problem. The driver started the practical implementation of his idea 8 years ago. William has invested in the development of wheels $ 60,000 personal funds. The author named his invention after himself: Liddiard Wheels. Now there is a running in of new wheels, they are being tested in field conditions. The author took a demonstration of their capabilities on video (the second video in a post).

Omnidirectional wheels are not a new idea. The first omni-wheel patent (omni-directional wheels, another name for omnidirectional wheels) was obtained in 1919. In the automotive industry, these wheels are almost never used. Basically, they are used to create a moving chassis of robots, wheelchairs for the disabled, portable mobile systems. William Liddard used the omnidirectional wheel he developed in practice. He equipped his wheels with a small Toyota Echo.


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In the video above, small transport devices with wheels appeared. A patent for the systems shown in the clip was obtained in 2009 by Honda. This company for the first time showed a personal vehicle with an omni-wheel at an auto show in Tokyo in 2009. But this system is not widespread. Most often omni-directional wheels work in toys and robots. But in this case the structure is built around the wheel, otherwise stability is lost.

The wheel is driven by an electric motor that takes energy from a car battery. Liddiard Wheels only has a vehicle speed of 2 km / h in either direction. Liddiard Wheels wheels are designed to work in vehicles of various types, including trucks. At first glance, the wheels look almost toy, but they are powerful enough to move the car at a given speed.



According to the author of the invention, a car with wheels of its design can perform complex maneuvers in a limited space, including turning on the spot. Liddiard Wheels can be useful in cases of difficult parking situations, when there is very little space. In such cases, an inexperienced driver spends a lot of time on proper parking. The person is nervous, afraid to damage his or someone else's car, and makes mistakes. Liddard does not say that you do not need to improve your skills in parking, but you can avoid unnecessary problems with Liddiard Wheels. It is not only about cars, but also about trucks, buses and other heavy and oversized vehicles. You can also use new wheels on forklifts. Here they are very relevant, as already demonstrated by the creator of the omnidirectional wheels AIRTRAX.


William Liddard with his invention

While the production of wheels of a new type is not put on stream, their cost price is high: one wheel costs $ 1,500 . This is an average price indicator, the exact cost depends on the size of the wheel itself and the type of vehicle for which the wheel is created.

I managed to get a comment from the inventor. He refused to answer many questions, because his technology is not yet patented (the author expects to receive a patent for his invention in a number of countries). But some points, William Liddard clarified.

William, please tell me, under what weather conditions can Liddiard Wheels be used?
Wheels can be used in all weather conditions and on any type of road surface. Neither dirt nor rainfall with snow will interfere with the movement, since the wheels are not afraid of water (I mean the electric "stuffing" of the wheel - ed.).

Your wheels are a rather complicated system. Could it happen that a piece of wood or a stone blocks the operation of tire tires?
The wheel cannot be blocked by a piece of wood or stone, since the space between the two moving tires of the wheel is minimal. If even a stone is in the inter-tire space before the wheels start working, it will not be able to interfere, since the tires move in different directions, and the stone (like any other foreign object) will be brought out of the wheel.

What is the estimated lifespan of the wheel you created?
I would like to say that airless tires. At any time, 1/3 of the total tire area is in contact with the ground. According to forecasts, the service life of the Liddiard Wheels wheel is significantly longer than that of a conventional tire with a similar rubber tire composition.