The omni-directional wheel is not a new invention, but it has typically been used only in wheelchairs, robotics and other small-scale applications. The age of parallel parking may soon be over thanks to a literal reinvention of the wheel by Canadian man William Liddiard. Honda Motor Co. did debut an omni-directional wheel at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, but it was as part of a small, Segway-style personal mobility device. The result is a wheel that can allow any car to “crab” side to side. “True all-way drive for anything with wheels,” Liddiard says in an online writeup for his successful prototype of “omni-directional” wheels, a specialized rim and tire that can allow any car the ability to move sideways.

Source: National Post July 01, 2016 23:26 UTC