Latest Papers

ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

  • Integrated Wheel–Foot–Arm Design of a Mobile Platform With Linkage Mechanisms
    on March 20, 2024 at 12:00 am

    AbstractInspired by lizards, a novel mobile platform with revolving linkage legs is proposed. The platform consists of four six-bar bipedal modules, and it is designed for heavy transportation on unstructured terrain. The platform possesses smooth-wheeled locomotion and obstacle-adaptive legged locomotion to enhance maneuverability. The kinematics of the six-bar bipedal modules is analyzed using the vector loop method, subsequently ascertaining the drive scheme. The foot trajectory compensation curve is generated using the fixed-axis rotation contour algorithm, which effectively reduces the centroid fluctuation and enables seamless switching between wheels and legs. When encountering obstacles, the revolving linkage legs act as climbing arms, facilitating seamless integration of wheel, foot, and arm. A physical prototype is developed to test the platform on three typical terrains: flat terrain, slope, and vertical obstacle. The experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of the platform structure. The platform can climb obstacles higher than its own height without adding extra actuation.

Design of Robotic Motion Platform Utilizing Continuous Contact Skating

Abstract

The continuous contact-based skating technique utilizes the sideway movement of the two skates while changing the orientation of the two skates simultaneously. The skates remain in contact with the surface. A mathematical model mimicking a continuous skating technique is developed to analyze the kinematic behavior of the platform. Kinematic and dynamic equations of motion are derived for the nonholonomic constraints. Heuristic-based motion primitives are defined to steer the robotic platform. For the lateral movement of the platform, a creeping-based motion primitive is proposed. A prototype of the robotic platform is developed with three actuated degrees-of-freedom—orientation of two skates and distance between them. A multibody model of the platform is also developed in matlab. Analytical expressions are verified using simulation and experiments. The robotic platform follows the desired motion profiles. The motion profiles include straight-line motion, motion in a circular curve, and lateral creep-like motion of the platform. However, the initial deviation has been observed in both the simulations and experiments due to the slipping of the roller skate at the contact point with the surface. The platform can be effectively used in a structured environment.
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