Ubiquitous Field Transportation Robots with Robust Wheel-Leg Transformable Modules

Kavli Affiliate: Zheng Zhu

| First 5 Authors: Haoran Wang, Cunxi Dai, Siyuan Wang, Ximan Zhang, Zheng Zhu

| Summary:

This paper introduces two field transportation robots. Both robots are
equipped with transformable wheel-leg modules, which can smoothly switch
between operation modes and can work in various challenging terrains. SWhegPro,
with six S-shaped legs, enables transporting loads in challenging uneven
outdoor terrains. SWhegPro3, featuring four three-impeller wheels, has
surprising stair-climbing performance in indoor scenarios. Different from
ordinary gear-driven transformable mechanisms, the modular wheels we designed
driven by self-locking electric push rods can switch modes accurately and
stably with high loads, significantly improving the load capacity of the robot
in leg mode. This study analyzes the robot’s wheel-leg module operation when
the terrain parameters change. Through the derivation of mathematical models
and calculations based on simplified kinematic models, a method for optimizing
the robot parameters and wheel-leg structure parameters is finally proposed.The
design and control strategy are then verified through simulations and field
experiments in various complex terrains, and the working performance of the two
field transportation robots is calculated and analyzed by recording sensor data
and proposing evaluation methods.

| Search Query: ArXiv Query: search_query=au:”Zheng Zhu”&id_list=&start=0&max_results=3

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