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Implementation of a Reconfigurable Robot to Achieve Multimodal Locomotion Based on Three Rules of Configuration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2019

Faliang Zhou Open the ORCID record for Faliang Zhou [Opens in a new window] ,
Xiaojun Xu ,
Haijun Xu ,
Yukang Chang ,
Qi Wang  and
Jinzhou Chen
Faliang Zhou
Affiliation:
College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China. E-mails: Shinny08@163.com, xuhaijun_1999@163.com, 15575166773@163.com
Xiaojun Xu*
Affiliation:
College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China. E-mails: Shinny08@163.com, xuhaijun_1999@163.com, 15575166773@163.com
Haijun Xu
Affiliation:
College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China. E-mails: Shinny08@163.com, xuhaijun_1999@163.com, 15575166773@163.com
Yukang Chang
Affiliation:
College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China. E-mails: Shinny08@163.com, xuhaijun_1999@163.com, 15575166773@163.com
Qi Wang
Affiliation:
School of Information and Software Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China. E-mail: 2017220301007@std.uestc.edu.cn
Jinzhou Chen
Affiliation:
China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing100094, China. E-mail: chenjinzhouacc@163.com
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: xuxiaojunmail@sina.com
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Summary

In this paper, we focus on the configuration design of a reconfigurable robot that merges the functions of wheels, tracks, and legs together. A deformable rim is utilized to make the robot wheel reconfigurable to change its locomotion mode. Three rules of configuration design to achieve reconfiguration between different modes are proposed: (1) in wheel mode, the track wheel set should be hidden inside the wheel rim; (2) in track/leg mode, the folded wheel rim should be hidden inside the caterpillar loop; (3) the circumference of the wheel rim in wheel mode should be equal to the length of the track ring in track mode. According to these rules, the configuration of the deformable rim, track wheel set, and telescopic spoke are analyzed and designed. A prototype of the reconfigurable wheel is fabricated by three-dimensional printing, and its functions of locomotion in different modes, the switch between different modes, and its load-bearing ability are tested, verifying the effectiveness of the configuration design. Furthermore, a prototype of the reconfigurable robot is manufactured by computerized numerical control (CNC) machining to verify the structural design of the reconfigurable wheel. Compared to traditional hybrid robots with separate wheels, tracks, and legs, this reconfigurable design lends the multimodal robot both excellent terrain adaptability and a compact structure; thus, it can be widely used as a universal mobile platform in search and rescue missions and explosive object disposal missions.

Keywords

Reconfigurable robotDeformable rimMultimodal locomotionConfiguration rules
Type
Articles
Information
Robotica , Volume 38 , Issue 8 , August 2020 , pp. 1478 - 1494
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019

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