Editor’s note: First Person is a periodic feature written for inventors by inventors.
By Alexey Burdin
Screw-propelled vehicles are nothing new. In fact they’ve been around for decades.
But they never really took off due to the fact they are normally slow, inefficient and unable to travel over dry land without tearing it up.
However they did have some advantages over their wheeled or tracked counterparts –they can haul themselves through mud and bogs with relative ease and even navigate over open water.
I’ve developed a screw-type propulsion system called TESH-drive that features all the benefits of screw-propulsion without the negatives, rekindling the hope that screw-propelled vehicles may one day become more popular for traversing difficult swampy terrain.
The name TESH-drive is derived from my nickname for the concept: transformable worms. I use the term “transformable” is because the rotating screws can be altered to function on hard ground (including roads), soft ground or water.
The TESH-drive features a strong inflatable rubber tube that wraps around the screw drive. In a real-world application, a Kevlar sleeve would protect the tube. When the tubing is inflated, it forms a wheeling body enabling the vehicle to travel on hard surfaces at speeds similar to conventional vehicles.
When the TESH-drive vehicle is being used on either soft ground or water, air is let out of the tube allowing the metal ridge of the screw to bite into the earth or cut through deep snow and water, propelling the vehicle forward.
The TESH-drive is also about maneuverability. It’s able to move forward, backward and side to side from the same spot on any type of terrain – something conventional wheeled and tracked vehicles are unable to do.
Moreover, if the tubes are badly damaged and can no longer hold air, the screws can move the vehicle to a place where new tubes can be installed. This aspect may present military applications, in addition to civilian/industrial applications.
On a final note, I’m hoping my TESH-drive concept gives a birth to a line of various toys. I’m currently negotiating a possibility with game developers.
Alexey Burdin graduated from the G.V. Plekhanov Saint Petersburg State Mining Institute and Technical University in 2000. The school is Russia’s oldest higher education institute devoted to engineering. In fact, it’s one of the oldest in Europe. The 33-year-old spent three years working in Dublin, Ireland, but has since returned to Mother Russia.
Visit www.tesh-lab.com
Editor’s note: This article appears in the March 2011 print edition.
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