Omnidirectional Transport Platform

摘要

This report developed under SBIR contract for Topic N99-051. One important element contributing to the effectiveness and efficiency of Navy sea- based aviation is the movement of aircraft components, munitions, and other support materiel around the flight deck, hangar deck, and magazines. On a typical aircraft carrier, this function consumes thousands of labor hours, hundreds of personnel, and hundreds of pieces of support equipment. The Navy has identified materiel transport as an area to reduce the cost of conducting naval operations while increasing the number of combat missions flown by each aircraft. This project began the development of an Omnidirectional Transport Platform (OTP) that features powered, omnidirectional wheels, a remote operator interface, and compatibility with existing lift and materiel transfer equipment. These features will reduce the number of personnel and support equipment, which will reduce the cost of conducting sea-based air operations. The OTP will improve the flow of materiel through the ship and reduce mean aircraft turn around time (TAT), thus increasing the sortie rate. During Phase I, we developed a functional prototype of an omnidirectional platform. This prototype paves the way for a successful Phase II design by demonstrating the core technical components of omnidirectional wheels and control electronics and software.