Latest Papers

ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

  • A Small-Scale Integrated Jumping-Crawling Robot: Design, Modeling, and Demonstration
    on June 16, 2025 at 12:00 am

    AbstractThe small jumping-crawling robot improves its obstacle-crossing ability by selecting appropriate locomotion methods. However, current research on jumping-crawling robots remains focused on enhancing specific aspects of performance, and several issues still exist, including nonadjustable gaits, poor stability, nonadjustable jumping posture, and poor motion continuity. This article presents a small jumping-crawling robot with decoupled jumping and crawling mechanisms, offline adjustable gaits, autonomous self-righting, autonomous steering, and certain slope-climbing abilities. The crawling mechanism adopts a partially adjustable Klann six-bar linkage, which can generate four stride lengths and three gaits. The jumping mechanism is designed as a six-bar linkage with passive compliance, and an active clutch allows energy storage and release in any state. The autonomous self-righting mechanism enables the robot to self-right after tipping over, meanwhile providing support, steering, and posture adjustment functions. Prototype experiments show that the designed robot demonstrates good motion stability and can climb a 45 deg slope without tipping over. The robot shows excellent steering performance, with a single action taking 5 s and achieving a steering angle of 11.5 deg. It also exhibits good motion continuity, with an average recovery time of 12 s to return to crawling mode after a jump. Crawling experiments on rough terrain demonstrate the feasibility of applying the designed robot in real-world scenarios.

Design of a Novel Large-Stroke Compliant Constant-Torque Mechanism Based on Chained Beam-Constraint Model

Abstract

This study addressed the development of a novel compliant constant-torque mechanism (CCTM) that utilizes Bezier curved beams to provide a large stroke in the constant-torque operating range. Previous CCTMs are limited by their working stroke, which reduces their applicability. The proposed mechanism is based on an analytical model using the chained beam-constraint model (CBCM), which captures the kinetostatic behavior of flexible segments. A genetic algorithm based on the CBCM was used to obtain the optimal structure, which was then verified through finite element analysis and experimental results. The results show that the proposed CCTM provides good flatness with a deviation of 3.7% and a large stroke of 80 deg in the constant-torque working range, while maintaining compactness. This novel CCTM has the potential to provide a simple and effective solution for torque regulators in various applications.

Read More

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics Open Issues