DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOUR-TRACK STEERING VEHICLE (THE VEHICLE PRESENTED FOR THE NAGANO OLYMPICS)

摘要

A four-track steering vehicle is a type of rubber track vehicle ;it has four independently mounted rubber track units in place of the four tires that are used for a four-wheel drive vehicle. The configuration of these units enables the rubber track to make contact with about 15 times the ground surface area than is possible with tires. The vehicle is maneuverable on surfaces such as deep snow and packed snow, which is comparatively soft, at ski resorts, as well as on very muddy furfaces. Four-track steering vehicles, unlike other vehicles such as snow-cat and construction machinery, are also capable of running on paved roads equally to ordinary automobiles. Driving ease is assured for everyone regardless of the type and condition of the road surface. This paper discusses the concept of the development and current technological developments of four-track steering vehicles with the features mentioned above.