Square wheel

Last updated
An animation of a square wheel rolling smoothly over inverted catenaries. Rolling-Square colored.gif
An animation of a square wheel rolling smoothly over inverted catenaries.
A prototype square wheeled car with modified track at Thinktank Science Garden. Thinktank Science Garden - car with square wheels (13900854766).jpg
A prototype square wheeled car with modified track at Thinktank Science Garden.

A square wheel is a wheel that, instead of being circular, has the shape of a square. While literal square wheels exist, a more common use is as an idiom meaning stereotypically bad or naive engineering (see reinventing the wheel).

A square wheel can roll smoothly if the ground consists of evenly shaped inverted catenaries of the right size and curvature. [1] [2] [3]

A different type of square-wheeled vehicle was invented in 2006 by Jason Winckler of Global Composites, Inc. in the United States. This has square wheels, linked together and offset by 22.5°, rolling on a flat surface. The prototype appears ungainly, but the inventor proposes that the system may be useful in microscopic-sized machines (MEMS). [4] In 1997 Macalester College mathematics professor Stan Wagon constructed the first prototype of a catenary tricycle. An improved model made out of modern materials was built when the original vehicle wore out in April, 2004. [5]

In 2012, MythBusters experimented with modifying vehicles with square tires, determining that, with speed, a truck fitted with square wheels can deliver a relatively smooth ride.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bogie</span> Chassis for wheels and suspension under vehicles

A bogie is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transport. A bogie may remain normally attached or be quickly detachable. It may include a suspension component within it, or be solid and in turn be suspended ; it may be mounted on a swivel, as traditionally on a railway carriage or locomotive, additionally jointed and sprung, or held in place by other means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeep</span> American automobile brand

Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with other assets, from their previous owner American Motors Corporation (AMC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel</span> Circular component rotating on an axle

A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be moved easily facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Wheels are also used for other purposes, such as a ship's wheel, steering wheel, potter's wheel, and flywheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continuous track</span> System of vehicle propulsion

Continuous track or tracked treads are a system of vehicle propulsion used in tracked vehicles, running on a continuous band of treads or track plates driven by two or more wheels. The large surface area of the tracks distributes the weight of the vehicle better than steel or rubber tyres on an equivalent vehicle, enabling continuous tracked vehicles to traverse soft ground with less likelihood of becoming stuck due to sinking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny-farthing</span> Early type of bicycle

The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds, owing to it travelling a large distance for every rotation of the legs, and comfort, because the large wheel provided greater shock absorption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution</span> Motor vehicle by Mitsubishi Motors

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, popularly referred to as the 'Evo', is a sports sedan and rally car based on the Lancer that was manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1992 until 2016. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a Roman numeral. All generations use two-litre intercooled turbo inline four-cylinder engines and all-wheel drive systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda S2000</span> Sports car manufactured by Honda 1999–2009

The Honda S2000 is a front-mid engine open top sports car that was manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda, from 1999 until 2009. First shown as a concept car called the SSM at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, the production version was launched on April 15, 1999, to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The S2000 is named for its engine displacement of two litres, while "S" stood for "sports" carrying on in the tradition of the S500, S600, and S800 roadsters of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Off-road vehicle</span> Automotive vehicle capable of driving across difficult terrain beyond sealed roads

An off-road vehicle (ORV), sometimes referred to as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle, or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving off paved or gravel surfaces, such as trails and forest roads that have rough and low traction surfaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Sable</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles manufactured and marketed by the Mercury brand of Ford Motor Company. Introduced on December 26, 1985, as the replacement for the Mercury Marquis, the Sable marked the transition of the mid-size Mercury product range to front-wheel drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Aerostar</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Aerostar is a range of vans that was manufactured by Ford from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. The first minivan produced by Ford, the model line was marketed against the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the first two generations of the Chrysler minivans. Introduced shortly before the Ford Taurus, the Aerostar derived its name from its slope-nosed "one-box" exterior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliica</span> Electric vehicle prototype

The Eliica is a supercar or an battery electric vehicle prototype or concept car first shown in 2004 and designed by a team at Keio University in Tokyo, led by Professor Hiroshi Shimizu. The 5.1 m (17 ft) car runs on a lithium-ion battery and can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in four seconds. In 2004, the Eliica reached a speed of 370 km/h (230 mph) on Italy's Nardò High Speed Track. The team's goal is to exceed 400 km/h (250 mph), breaking the record set by today's street-legal gasoline-powered vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota 4Runner</span> Sport utility vehicle manufactured by Toyota

The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota and marketed globally since 1984, across five generations. In Japan, it was marketed as the Toyota Hilux Surf and was withdrawn from the market in 2009. The original 4Runner was a compact SUV and little more than a Toyota Hilux pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, but the model has since undergone significant independent development into a cross between a compact and a mid-size SUV. All 4Runners have been built in Japan at Toyota's plant in Tahara, Aichi, or at the Hino Motors plant in Hamura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scroll wheel</span> Component of a computer mouse used for scrolling

A scroll wheel is a wheel used for scrolling. The term usually refers to such wheels found on computer mice. It is often made of hard plastic with a rubbery surface, centred around an internal rotary encoder. It is usually located between the left and right mouse buttons and is positioned perpendicular to the mouse surface. Sometimes the wheel can be pressed left and right, which is actually just two additional macros buttons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road–rail vehicle</span> Vehicle capable of travelling on roads and railway tracks

A road–rail vehicle or a rail–road vehicle is a dual-mode vehicle which can operate both on rail tracks and roads. They are also known as two-way vehicles, hi-rail, and rail and road vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English wheel</span> Metalworking tool for curving sheet metal

The English wheel, in Britain also known as a wheeling machine, is a metalworking tool that enables a craftsperson to form compound curves from flat sheets of metal such as aluminium or steel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse-drawn vehicle</span> Vehicle pulled one or more horses

A horse-drawn vehicle is a piece of equipment pulled by one or more horses. These vehicles typically have two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport but are still in use today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Wagon</span> Canadian-American mathematician

Stanley Wagon is a Canadian-American mathematician, a professor emeritus of mathematics at Macalester College in Minnesota. He is the author of multiple books on number theory, geometry, and computational mathematics, and is also known for his snow sculpture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Slovakia</span>

The Volkswagen Bratislava Plant is an automotive factory and co-located test track owned by Volkswagen Group in Bratislava, Slovakia.

References

  1. Peterson, Ivars (4 April 2004), "Riding on Square Wheels", Science News , vol. 165, no. 14, archived from the original on July 2, 2008, retrieved 2009-05-03
  2. A Catenary Road and Square Wheels, New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois, archived from the original on September 30, 2006, retrieved 2009-05-03
  3. Non-Circular Wheels, vol. Physics and Astronomy Lecture Demonstrations, University of Iowa , retrieved 2009-05-03
  4. Derby, Stephen J.; Anderson, Kurt; Winckler, Steven; Winckler, Jason (2006). "Motion Characteristics of a Square Wheel Car". Volume 2: 30th Annual Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B. Vol. 2006. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA: ASME. pp. 811–816. doi:10.1115/DETC2006-99140. ISBN   9780791842560.
  5. Wagon, Stan. "Untitled" . Retrieved 19 May 2010.