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 The Transwheel Delivery Drone is a sensor-packed motorized unicycle
that Shikar says could be an earthbound alternative to Amazon's
futuristic plans to use drone multicopters to deliver packages to
your front door.
With a package held on its 'head' by two robotic arms, the
Transwheel delivery robot - still largely a concept, with no
financial backers - would steer its way to its destination, where
its Internet-connected camera, tapping into social media sites,
would identify the recipient. It's a compromise, Shikar believes,
between the need for speedy delivery and the dangers of flying
drones encroaching on commercial airspace.
A series of on-board cameras would help it avoid obstacles and
negotiate traffic.
Shikar's concept video clip showing Transwheel zipping down the road
on a delivery run has captured imaginations, receiving thousands of
views and shares on has been viewed and shared thousands of times on
video site YouTube.
"I worked on a concept that is a robotic autonomous wheel that is
directed by GPS and has photography systems and facial recognition
with the purpose of transporting packages," said Shikar, 28, who
invented the concept for his graduate project at Shenkar College of
Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv.
In his workshop at Shenkar College, Shikar researched the evolution
of the wheel and jotted down sketches. His first prototype was a
simple cardboard wheel wired up to communicate with a toy remote
control.
Using a balancing mechanism similar to the one that keeps a Segway
upright, Transwheel drones could be programed, Shikar believes, to
work as a group to carry large loads. Multiple Transwheels could
work together to deliver larger parcels. His concept video shows 12
scooters hauling a full-size shipping container.
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He envisages a pilot program in which the robots could be put to
work at airports or military air bases, and notes that the
battery-powered technology is non-polluting.
"Moving to robots, to this type of transportation, can also limit
human accidents that happen on roads due to extended driving and
also create perseverance," he said during a summer break at Shekar
college. "The pace does not change. It remains the same as opposed
to people who often simply need the rest."
Gilad Davidy, a Shenkar lecturer who rides a personal transporter
similar to Shikar's conceptual robot, said his student's vision is
not science fiction.
"The concept is realistic," Davidy said. He added: "Today there are
drones, there is Google's project that are all in the same
territory, a vehicle, transportation tool, in the air, sea and
ground that transports based on data from satellites and from all
different kinds of social networks".
Shikar now hopes to gain financial backing to develop the robot from
concept to reality.
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