Continuous omnidirectional treadmill apparatus

Abstract

The disclosed method comprises a hollow, spherical treadmill belt which envelops an internal treadmill deck. The belt is not held flat and under tension over the treadmill deck by being stretched tightly around it, but is instead loosely fit around the treadmill deck and is pulled flat and tensioned by a separate system comprising low-friction rings, which redirect the treadmill belt, analogous to a three-dimensional pulley system. A motorized drive system utilizes electric motors, each coupled to an omniwheel, which can drive the treadmill belt in one direction while allowing it to move freely in a perpendicular direction. Sensors are placed across the treadmill belt to detect lateral forces applied to the surface by the user; data from these sensors is used to keep the user centered on the surface of the omnidirectional treadmill.

1 . An omnidirectional treadmill device comprising:
 an internal treadmill deck;   a hollow, spherical treadmill belt which loosely envelops the internal treadmill deck such that the hollow, spherical treadmill belt is not held under tension by the internal treadmill deck alone;   a treadmill belt management system configured to tension the hollow, spherical treadmill belt and pull a portion of that hollow, spherical treadmill belt flat over the top surface of the internal treadmill deck;   the treadmill belt management system comprising a plurality of low friction rings configured to act as omnidirectional pulleys, redirecting the hollow, spherical treadmill belt between that plurality of low friction rings;   a treadmill deck support system comprising a plurality of ball transfers configured to secure the internal treadmill deck through the hollow, spherical treadmill belt without inhibiting movement of that hollow, spherical treadmill belt;   a motorized drive system comprising at least one electric motor coupled to an omniwheel external to the hollow, spherical treadmill belt, with each motor coupled external omniwheel being paired with a, freely rotatable, internal omniwheel such that the hollow, spherical treadmill belt is frictionally engaged between the outer edges of each pair of external and internal omniwheels; and   a lateral force detection system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a magnitude and direction of translational forces imparted by a user onto the hollow, spherical treadmill belt.   
     
     
         2 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow, spherical treadmill belt comprises a hollow sphere of rubber, plastic, fabric, or any combination thereof with the diameter of the hollow sphere being greater than that of the internal treadmill deck. 
     
     
         3 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the low friction rings is below the internal treadmill deck. 
     
     
         4 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the low friction rings comprise a plurality of radially spaced omniwheels, thereby reducing sliding friction. 
     
     
         5 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein the treadmill deck support system comprises a plurality of ball transfers positioned both on an interior and exterior of the hollow, spherical treadmill belt such that each ball transfer is pinned in place by a pair of opposite ball transfers through the hollow, spherical treadmill belt. 
     
     
         6 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the external and internal omniwheels of the motorized drive system comprise a single circumferential row of rollers capable of maintaining continuous frictional engagement with the hollow, spherical treadmill belt between each pair of external and internal omniwheels. 
     
     
         7 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral force detection system comprises at least one sensor frictionally engaged with the hollow, spherical treadmill belt, with the at least one sensor configured to detect translational forces applied to the hollow, spherical treadmill belt. 
     
     
         8 . The omnidirectional treadmill device of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality thereof; wherein each sensor is configured to detect both static and dynamic forces applied to the hollow, spherical treadmill belt in a given direction; and wherein a combination of the plurality of sensors thereby enabling complete omnidirectional detection of horizontal forces imparted on the hollow, spherical treadmill belt by a user.