Abstract: A driving form switching apparatus enabling even a user of wheelchair who cannot freely use limb to easily change over a driving form by single hand self-operation. By using a differential gear mechanism or a combination mechanism comprising pinions and racks, the rotating, tilting and shifting motions of a steering lever are transmitted to two rotating shafts. Drums are directly coupled to the two rotating shafts, and the rotations of the two rotating shafts are transmitted to steering shafts through flexible wires as first connecting means. Also, the steering shafts for wheels are parallel- or cross-connected by second connecting means. Thus, the driving forms of a four-wheel drive vehicle such as back and forth traveling, counter-clockwise turning, clockwise turning, turning on the spot, parallel traveling, stopping and braking, etc, can be switched by a single-hand simple operation.

Abstract: A driving form switching apparatus enabling even a user of wheelchair who cannot freely use limb to easily change over a driving form by single hand self-operation. By using a differential gear mechanism or a combination mechanism comprising pinions and racks, the rotating, tilting and shifting motions of a steering lever are transmitted to two rotating shafts. Drums are directly coupled to the two rotating shafts, and the rotations of the two rotating shafts are transmitted to steering shafts through flexible wires as first connecting means. Also, the steering shafts for wheels are parallel- or cross-connected by second connecting means. Thus, the driving forms of a four-wheel drive vehicle such as back and forth traveling, counter-clockwise turning, clockwise turning, turning on the spot, parallel traveling, stopping and braking, etc, can be switched by a single-hand simple operation.

Abstract: A tactile sensor comprises a sensitive shell including a support rod, a sensor body for holding the support rod such that the sensitive shell is capable of three-dimensional operation, a plurality of elastic members each having one end connected to the sensor body and the other end connected to the sensitive shell, for elastically suspending the sensitive shell at a reference position and in a reference orientation with respect to the sensor body, and detection means provided on the elastic members for detecting the displacement of or deforming force on the plurality of elastic members.

Abstract: A motor driven vehicle for traversing the interior of a pipe or conduit accommodates itself to variations in the interior contour of the pipe and automatically positions itself on the longest axis of any cross section of the pipe. It comprises a pair of two-wheeled trucks each pivotally connected to an end of a stretcher member which urges the trucks away from each other against diametrically opposite paths of travel on the pipe wall. Each truck has a driving wheel and a swivelling wheel, the driving wheels being diagonally opposite each other. The driving wheel motors are servo-connected so as to keep the angles between stretcher and truck bolsters equal. The driving wheels are preferably constructed with rim segments which rotate about axes tangent to the mean circumference of the rim, thereby permitting movement sidewise of the wheel.

Abstract: A motor driven vehicle for traversing the interior of a pipe or conduit comprises a pair of arms pivoted to each other at one pair of ends, a drive wheel the axle of which may coincide with the pivot, a swiveling wheel carried at the other end of each arm and a spring positioned to pull the arms toward each other so that the dimension of the vehicle across a pipe is automatically maximized. The vehicle thus tends to position itself on the longest axis of any cross section of the pipe. The drive wheel may be constructed with rim segments which rotate about axes tangent to the means circumference of the rim.