US Patent 9864396 Highly maneuverable mowing vehicle with Mecanum wheels

Highly maneuverable utility vehicles having Mecanum wheels capable of traveling in a variety of different directions and turning in a zero turn manner may include one or more controllers in communication with drive units for powering the Mecanum wheels. A multi-axis interface, such as a joystick, may be connected to the controller for proportionally controlling the direction and speed of the vehicle, and for providing different manners in which the vehicle may enter zero-turn mode. The joystick may include at least one pushbutton for switching between programmed travel modes or selecting an auxiliary function. The controller may be programmed to permit the vehicle to operate in different operating modes.