14 DAY TRIAL // A team of experts at the Ohio State University (OSU), led by assistant professor of mechanical engineering Junmin Wang, has developed a vehicle prototype that features no engine, transmission, or differential. This proof-of-concept boasts only half the weight of other cars of the same size.
Rather than including all these cumbersome systems into their vehicle, the researchers opted instead to use built-in electric motors inside each wheel. Making sure such a complex setup works is the job of an advanced traction and motor control system developed at the university.
With this type of propulsion, this vehicle can turn very sharply, and can change directions far more sensibly than any other car. The control system ensures that any changes in orientation occur smoothly, thus ensuring a very comfortable ride.
"Without [the control system], the car is quite difficult to drive because the wheels are not coordinated,” explains Wang, whose research is funded by a grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF).