Twill Tech Personal Commute Vehicles
Submitted by chtacklind on November 7, 2008 - 22:36.
Chris Tacklind, President
The Team Whose name (s) should be listed as winner(s) if your entry is selected?:
Application Questions Summarize your proposal in 50 words or less:
Solo drivers commuting to and from work consume 21% of America’s energy budget. At one end of the transportation spectrum, this suggests we need to invest in mass transit and re design our cities. Such projects are decades in the making and are not applicable to the developing world. Domestically, there is a rush to build electric cars to eliminate pollution. But this does not solve the congestion problems and merely shifts the energy production out of the city. At the other end of the transportation spectrum, many have proposed small three wheel electric vehicles. Since these are uncomfortable, unsafe, and have poor performance they will not achieve popular acceptance. So they will never hit the price point necessary for mass adoption.
True to the spirit of Buckminster Fuller, Twill Tech solves these problems with a collection of radical departures from the norm resulting in nothing less than the safest, most comfortable, most efficient vehicles ever, and they are a blast to drive. Light weight and mechanical simplicity make them truly affordable and applicable to world-wide markets.
The highest aerodynamic efficiency requires a low profile shape with small frontal area. Even more important is eliminating appendages such as out rigger wheels. Twill achieves this goal by supporting the passenger compartment by just Two-Wheels-In-Line along the center line of the vehicle. At speed, small changes to the steering angle maintain balance, just as in a bicycle or motorcycle. But like a rider on a fixed-gear bicycle, balance is achieved by computer control of the steering angle and wheel position. While stopped, small motions forward and backward result in small sideways motions of the tire patch on the road to maintain balance. No training wheels or kick stands are needed. Smooth transitions are provided by the advanced control system.
A small motor transforms of the wheel base providing a taller stance at low speeds. At the extreme, a parking position leaves the Twill standing vertically parked in a 1 m square. This makes it easy to get in and out.
Describe the critical need your solution addresses:
We have invested the last year building simulations and functional prototypes. A detailed dynamic model has been developed and the control laws have been created. Working prototypes balance with great delight. The first ride-on machinery is complete and is awaiting electronics and software completion. A series of prototypes have been planned culminating in a complete production design within three years.
We have also invested heavily in promoting the project within the Venture Capital community. Without exception we were received with enthusiasm. For example, the CEO of Virgin Galactic responded with, “I love it! “ But each group has asked us to come back when we have a working prototype.
Alternative funding sources are being considered for other Twill applications. These include compact electric wheel chairs that are narrow enough for all doorways and can easily traverse thresholds and curbs. Numerous robotic applications are also possible, including efficient, fast, human-scale robots, without the complexity of walking mechanisms.
The novelty of the Segway personal transporter has inspired a variety of balancing robots, motorcycles and even cars. But two-wheel-adjacent vehicles are inherently unsafe at speed. We fully expect that Twill will be a trim tab in transportation technology inspiring a huge variety of new practical solutions in many fields.
Explain your initiative in more depth and its stage of development. ** See full questions below box:
Congestion, pollution and vehicular danger plague every city, large and small. Mass transit helps in many markets, but requires huge investments. Twills are poised to transform our cities, one car at a time. They also compliment mass transit by providing fleets of rental vehicles that park with 10 times the density of conventional cars.
Twills are all electric, quiet and can go anywhere people go. This includes single track trails and paths. This greatly reduces the need for wide, level paved roads. The similarity to bicycles and scooters invokes a familiarity that will help adoption in developing markets.
The technology required has already been demonstrated in other products. Balancing has been demonstrated in the Segway product. The balancing of Twills is much more robust at speed, since it balances like a bicycle. Extensive lab and field testing of the control algorithms will enable safe use on all surfaces far beyond what would be possible for a motorcycle. Special versions for each market will reflect local requirements and may be locally manufactured with low tooling cost.
How does your strategy and approach respond creatively and comprehensively to key issues? **see full question below box:
The lead team is comprised of design and engineering professionals, each an accomplished expert in their respective fields with formal academic training. Chris Tacklind holds degrees in Mathematics, Physics, and a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford. He holds about 50 patents including the first three patents on HPs ink jet. Ben Tigner, is a Stanford PhD in Physics. He was chief engineer on the Hummingbird UAV now being produced by Boeing. He was principle engineer in a variety of NASA projects in advanced controls systems. Madhavan Thirumalai holds computer science degrees from IIT, Bombay and the University of California at Santa Cruz and was lead engineer at SGI and Nuance and other Silicon Valley firms. Nelson Au’s passion for automotive design stems from his training in Design at San Jose State University. He was a founding member of what is now IDEO, one of the most influential design firms in the world. The professional team is augmented by the finest interns selected from championship robotics teams.
We have also been honored by the participation of our extended community of designers and engineers. World renowned in their fields, our board of advisers includes an incredible list of talent. Even though each of them is completely committed to other projects, when they heard what we are up to, they could not turn down the opportunity to help.
Images Attribution (1):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (1):
A 6' by 7' solar panel supplies all the energy needed for the average commute
Attribution (2):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (2):
Twills bank perfectly into every turn. This provides an exhilarating new driving experience.
Attribution (3):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (3):
At high speed Twills are long and low. While parked they fit I a 1 m square.
Attribution (4):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (4):
4) Twills fit into existing infrastructure, including your garage. They can traverse on any surface, even single track
Attribution (5):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (5):
Conventional wheel chairs require a level surface. Twill Wheelchairs stay plumb on all surfaces.
Attribution (6):
Illustration by Nelson Au
Caption (6):
Twill robots stand tall as a man and can traverse dirt trails at high speeds.
Reference 1 (required) Please enter the name and contact information for a reference who has a thorough knowledge of your solution and is able to vouch for the integrity and credibility of your submission.
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Trusted Friend, design professional, auto enthusiast. Creative thinker extraordinaire.
Reference 2 (required) Please enter the name and contact information for a reference who has a thorough knowledge of your solution and is able to vouch for the integrity and credibility of your submission.
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We Teach Science Foundation
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Trusted friend, expert in dynamic controls, engineering executive.
