Patent ID: 7980336

Claim:
An omni-directional drive device, comprising: a base; a first moveable member and a second moveable member movably supported by the base; a first drive unit and a second drive unit configured to selectively drive the first and second moveable members, respectively; a plurality of first free rollers rotatably supported by the first moveable member arranged along a direction of movement of the first moveable member, each first free roller having a rotation axis extending at a first angle relative to the direction of movement of the first moveable member; and a plurality of second free rollers rotatably supported by the second moveable member arranged along a direction of movement of the second moveable member in such a manner as to come into a rolling engagement with one of the first free rollers as at least one of the moveable members moves along the direction of movement thereof, each second free roller having a rotation axis extending at a second angle relative to the direction of movement of the second moveable member, the first angle being different from the second angle; the first free rollers being adapted to engage a surface of a driving object.