Built by James Bruton, a mechanical engineer, inventor, roboticist, and YouTube sensation, the electric screw bike uses four mecanum wheels, typically found in industrial machines and robots, for omnidirectional movement. Two pairs of mecanum wheels are built and also positioned to move in opposition to one another, with belts driven off the four individual electric motors that occupy the level of the bike just above them in the frame.
source.image: James Bruton
The resulting screw motion is what moves the bike around. Bruton documented its construction process. Much of the wheel components are 3D printed using various materials and techniques. Plywood and durable materials are used for different parts, ensuring stability and safety.
Multiple bearings are meticulously installed to ensure smooth operation. Do you remember when I made a bicycle with an omni-wheel on the front? A while later I moved on and tried to make a bike with two omni-wheels.
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As soon as I’d assembled that version I realised it would have been better to have made Mecanum wheels, which have the little wheels slanted all around them. These are typically used on the four corners of a robot so it can move in any direction, but I want to put them all in a line, so the bike still balances sideways, but can screw itself along.
