Abstract
This study presents a novel shape-morphing wheel that enables to not only traverse flat ground quickly in a circular configuration but also overcome obstacles like steps effectively in a transformed configuration. The proposed wheel mechanism has two degrees-of-freedoms (DOFs) to change its wheel radius and the tilting angle of its lobe simultaneously in response to obstacles of various sizes. The kinematic requirements for the 2-DOF shape-morphing wheel mechanism are first defined. Then, the proper mechanisms for the proposed wheel mechanism are exhaustively searched. As a result, five mechanisms are selected in combination with four-bar mechanism to synchronize the motions of wheel lobes. From the kinematic viewpoints including the singularity, transformation range and interference, the characteristics of selected mechanisms are analyzed extensively, and a novel 2-DOF shape-morphing wheel mechanism has been successfully constructed.
Highlights
In order to perform various tasks such as guidance, healthcare and surveillance, indoor service robots should be able to move around human living environments quickly and safely
Conventional wheeled robots have the difficulty in overcoming structured obstacles such as steps and stairs, which are frequently encountered in indoor environments [6]
We propose a novel 2-DOF shape-morphing wheel that can move on flat ground quickly and overcome various obstacles in indoor environments efficiently
Summary
In order to perform various tasks such as guidance, healthcare and surveillance, indoor service robots should be able to move around human living environments quickly and safely.
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