We developed our first stage wagon more than 15 years ago and have been continuously improving it ever since—consistently focusing on Mecanum technology to enable exceptional movement effects. Today, we are trusted by more than 250 satisfied customers across Europe.

With a modular system of proven standard components in two sizes, we can efficiently deliver robust solutions while dedicating our full attention to the special requirements of creative projects—backed by extensive project experience.

In Europe, imetron and its DONKEYmotion brand are among the leading suppliers of Mecanum-based vehicles, specialising in compact, high-manoeuvrability systems. The omnidirectional DONKEYmotion transport systems are suitable for virtually all industrial applications. Their unique manoeuvrability unlocks new possibilities for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in intralogistics, as well as for applications such as stage technology.

When a Mecanum wheel rotates, it generates two force components: one in the direction of the wheel’s rotation and a second perpendicular to it. Because the rollers can rotate freely, a Mecanum wheel does not behave like a conventional wheel that tracks straight. When additional forces are applied, its motion can be redirected—allowing movement in virtually any direction.

In a vehicle with four Mecanum wheels, the rollers are typically mounted at 45°, with the roller orientation alternating from wheel to wheel (offset by 90° between adjacent wheels). If each wheel were driven on its own, it would move diagonally toward a different corner of an imaginary rectangle. By combining the forces from all four wheels, the vehicle can move forward, sideways, diagonally, or rotate on the spot.

A helpful analogy is a nut on a threaded rod: if the nut is prevented from rotating, it travels along the thread’s axis. If it is allowed to rotate freely, it simply spins in place. Similarly, by controlling how the wheel forces combine, a Mecanum vehicle can translate or rotate as required.

The direction and magnitude of each wheel’s driving force depend on its rotational speed and direction. By precisely coordinating the speed and direction of all wheels, the vehicle moves in the desired direction. DonkeyMotion vehicles, for example, can be controlled intuitively with a joystick. A safety PLC onboard coordinates the individual wheels to follow the commanded direction and speed.

The Mecanum wheel was invented in 1973 by Bengt Ilon, an engineer at the Swedish company Mecanum AB. The wheel is sometimes referred to as the Ilon wheel in his honour. The U.S. Navy purchased the patent from Mecanum and initially used the technology primarily for loading and unloading cargo on ships. It was not until 1997 that the technology became available for commercial and civilian applications.

To this day, most Mecanum vehicles - similar to those used by the Navy - are deployed to transport extremely heavy loads in confined spaces. In the aviation industry, for example, large multi-wheeled Mecanum transporters are used to manoeuvre massive fuselage sections through production halls. Smaller Mecanum vehicles, however, remain comparatively rare.

Vehicles equipped with Mecanum wheels can move freely in two dimensions - almost like hovercraft - while maintaining full contact with the ground. From a standstill or while in motion, they can travel in any direction, follow curves of virtually any radius, or even rotate on the spot. The basis of this omnidirectional mobility lies in the wheel’s unique design.

We work with two standard component sets to cover different vehicle sizes and a wide range of payload requirements.

Component set S: our compact building kit uses four 190 mm Mecanum wheels. Motor controllers and electronics operate at 24 V DC.
Component set M: the larger kit uses 300 mm wheels and a 48 V DC supply.

With these two platforms, our standard vehicles support payloads from 1,000 kg up to approximately 2.5 tonnes—before any upgrades are applied. Payload capacity can be increased further through proven enhancement methods, such as adding passive support wheels or configuring master–slave compound wagons.

Thanks to our detailed understanding of every component in these modular systems, we have engineered Mecanum solutions that move up to 12 tonnes on stage.

One of the highlights of our product range is the ability to build large platforms by linking multiple stage wagons so they move as a single vehicle. This scalability gives you exceptional flexibility for show elements—from rotating a single performer with one compact Orbiter to moving and turning several tonnes of equipment.

In fact, two Orbiter M units, supplemented with additional support axles, can move up to 12 tonnes.

You can even combine Orbiter M and Orbiter S wagons within the same master–slave system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu9sfQWceIk

To keep your team fully focused on creative work, all required components - such as data cables and mechanical coupling elements -are included in our toolbox.
 

Graphical User Interface

While Orbiter movement is often controlled simply via our handheld remote, the many configuration options for adapting the system to your stage design call for a more advanced interface. Our graphical human–machine interface (HMI) makes it easy to view and adjust key parameters such as axle geometry, speed limits, master–slave assignments, and more.

All settings can be adjusted using intuitive controls (e.g. sliders), and changes are displayed immediately - providing a clear overview of the current configuration at all times.

A separate overview page provides general vehicle information as well as maintenance instructions.

If you use the Teach-In function frequently, it can be easy to lose track of the up to 32 stored routes. On the parameterisation unit, routes are clearly listed and can be organised and renamed according to your preferences.

Since it is difficult to use industry proven concepts like laser scanners on highly dynamic theatre stages, it becomes more important to ensure personal safety by other methods.
At the heart of our Orbiters we calculate the Mecanum matrix with a safety PLC, which performs a real-time comparison of the commands sent to the motors with the real rotational speeds sensed by the odometry.

In addition to this internal error check, there are a number of emergency stop functions in case external errors are detected: The moving stage trolley has a primary emergency stop switch, which can also be installed in a more convenient position on your stage to ensure immediate availability. A secondary e-stop can be pressed by the operator on the remote control. Finally, we offer external emergency functions to be used from positions that might have better scenic overview than the personell on the remote or at the stage.