GEEKERY: Imagine a Mechanical Spider on Wheels…
French company Mecanroc has created an awesome ATV that takes full advantage of physics…
4 wheels, aluminum frame, hub electric motors in each wheel, and something they’re calling “technologie pendulaire.” It’s a leaning vehicle that uses the same center of gravity shift used to turn a motorcycle.
A few features that helps make this work:
• The seat is suspended above the driver’s center of mass, and is linked to the wheels so they all lean together
• The legs are all individually articulated allowing for better handling on uneven terrain
The linkage system allows the wheels to be parallel to the angle of the cockpit when driving the vehicle across a slope. This means that the driver’s mass stays between the wheels and below the hubs – creating stability, and allowing for some of the tricks in the above video.
The prototype in this video shows the linkage system really well:
For more on the Swincar check out inventor Pascal Rambaud’s website.
Give it some more power and I’m betting it would be a blast on the Estoril circuit.
Where would you take this ATV?
