1. A moving mechanism comprising:
a vehicle body;
steering actuators which are disposed on right and left sides of the vehicle body and are drivable around a vertical axis;
right and left steering hubs which are driven by the steering actuator;
vehicle wheel actuators which are fixed to the steering hubs; and
vehicle wheels which are driven by the vehicle wheel actuators and are disposed in an inclined manner relative to a vertical direction.
2. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle wheels disposed on the right and left sides are disposed in an inclined manner so as to be arranged symmetrically.
3. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, comprising:
splines and suspension members for connecting the steering actuators and the steering hubs,
wherein the suspension members expand and contract along the splines and are suspended by the vehicle body and the steering hubs.
4. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a driving axis of the steering actuator and a grounding point, which is a contact point between the vehicle wheel and a traveling surface, are arranged in the same straight line.
5. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle wheel has a shape in which the right and left sides of a central cross-sectional circle on a surface vertical to the traveling direction of the vehicle wheel are removed, and
the center of the cross-sectional circle is located on a steering axis.
6. The moving mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the suspension member is a suspension spring.
7. The moving mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the suspension member is a suspension spring, and
the moving mechanism satisfies a relation represented by Formula 2:
d<r sin \u03b8\u2212s cos \u03b8
where r represents an internal diameter of the vehicle wheel, s represents a distance from a central point of a cross-sectional vehicle wheel to a cross-sectional surface on a steering side of the vehicle wheel, \u03b8 represents an inclination angle of the vehicle wheel from the steering axis, and d represents a distance from the steering axis of the suspension spring to the side of the vehicle wheel.
8. The moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the vehicle wheels is disposed in a direction vertical to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and
the moving mechanism comprises a second vehicle wheel which freely rotates separately from the aforementioned vehicle wheels around a vertical axis and around a horizontal axis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for delivering one or more fluids to a microfluidic channel, comprising:
(a) a microfluidic channel;
(b) a first conduit communicating with the microfluidic channel for delivering fluids to the microfluidic channel; and
(c) a first fluid freeze valve connected to the first conduit and operable to reduce the temperature of the first conduit for freezing fluid in the first conduit such that fluid is prevented from advancing through the first conduit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a second conduit communicating with the microfluidic channel for advancing fluids out of the microfluidic channel.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 comprising a second fluid freeze valve connected to the second conduit and operable to lower the temperature of the second conduit for freezing fluid in the second conduit such that fluid is prevented from advancing through the second conduit.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the microfluidic channel comprises an aging loop.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an injection loop comprising a first and second end, the first end communicating with the microfluidic channel and the second end communicating with the first conduit for receiving different fluids from the first conduit to advance to the microfluidic channel.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the injection loop comprises a microchannel etched in a microfluidic chip.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the injection loop comprises a volume between about 0.1 and 2.0 microliters.
8. The apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a first pump communicating with the injection loop for advancing fluid in the injection loop to the microfluidic channel.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the first pump is operable to advance the fluid at a controlled, variable flow rate.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 comprising a second pump communicating with the first end of the injection loop and operable to receive fluid advanced from the injection loop.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the second pump is operable to advance fluid from the injection loop at a controlled, variable flow rate through the first input channel to the microfluidic channel.
12. The apparatus according to claim 10 comprising a third pump communicating with the second end of the injection loop for advancing fluid through the injection loop.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the third pump is operable to advance fluid from the injection loop at a controlled, variable flow rate through the first input channel to the microfluidic channel.
14. The apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a first waste unit communicating with the first end of the injection loop for receiving fluid from the microfluidic channel.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the first waste unit is operable to receive fluid from the injection loop.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 comprising a second conduit communicating with the microfluidic channel for advancing fluids in the microfluidic channel out of the microfluidic channel.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 comprising a second fluid freeze valve connected to the second conduit and operable to lower the temperature of the second conduit for freezing fluid in the second conduit such that fluid is prevented from advancing through the second conduit.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the microfluidic channel comprises an aging loop.
19. The apparatus according to claim 5 comprising a vacuum communicating with the first end of the injection loop for advancing a fluid through the injection loop.
20. The apparatus according to claim 16 comprising a second conduit for communicating fluid from the injection loop to the vacuum.
21. The apparatus according to claim 20 comprising a second fluid freeze valve connected to the second conduit and operable to lower the temperature of the second conduit for freezing the fluid in the second conduit such that fluid is prevented from communicating through the second conduit.
22-83. (canceled)
84. A method for mixing different fluids, the method comprising:
(a) providing a microfluidic chip comprising a first and second input channel fluidly communicating at a merge location, and a mixing channel communicating with the first and second input channels at the merge location;
(b) providing a first conduit communicating with the merge location for delivering fluids to the merge location; and
(c) reducing the temperature of the first conduit for freezing fluid in the first conduit such that fluid is prevented from advancing through the first conduit.
85-118. (canceled)
119. A method for mixing different fluids, the method comprising:
(a) providing a microfluidic chip comprising a first and second input channel fluidly communicating at a merge location, and a mixing channel communicating with the first and second input channels at the merge location;
(b) providing an injection loop comprising a microchannel etched in the microfluidic chip and communicating with at least one of the first and second input channels for providing different fluids to one of first and second pumps for subsequent advancement through one of the first and second input channels; and
(c) changing the temperature of the injection loop for maintaining fluid in the injection loop at a different temperature than a temperature of the fluid in the first or second input channels.
120-152. (canceled)