Agency DARPA is working on another project – wheels, transformers for military vehicle Humvee, which for two seconds, change its configuration, turning from ordinary wheels in a triangular track.
The tank stands out among the other weapons the presence of firepower, armour protection and mobility. Over the last 30 years in tank was a powerful technological breakthrough, which, unfortunately, hardly touched the last component — the mobility of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other combat vehicles used the old scheme of the tracks and wheels with all their pros and cons: caterpillar good in the field, and wheels on the roads.
Under the new program, DARPA RWT (Reconfigurable Wheel Track), the specialists of the National centre for engineering and robotics at Carnegie Mellon have developed a system of wheels, transformers, turning in under 2 seconds from tracks to wheels and Vice versa. The demonstration took place in Aberdeen, Maryland, in may 2018. A vehicle equipped with an RWT will have less constraints related to terrain, and, accordingly, will have the best maneuverability.
Another development DARPA — system METS (Multi-Mode Extreme Travel Suspension) to reduce the shaking inside the car when driving over rough terrain by adjusting the suspension.
The following innovation – 100-kilowatt electric motor, which is housed in a standard 20-inch wheel rim. The engine has three gears, internal brake with liquid cooling and Central inflating system.
A car equipped with such a system, does not need a “main” engine inside the armored hull, resulting in freed up more space. In addition, when the failure of one or even two engines of the car does not lose mobility.
Source — DARPA