Hybrid Exploration Rover
ABSTRACT
One of the key factors for success of future autonomous planetary exploration missions could be the use of rovers with high locomotion performance. During the last decades, many researches were dedicated to the design of what so-called “high mobility systems”. This concept is referred to both speed capacity and clearance ability.
“Hybrid Exploration Rover”, a new hybrid robot that can perform both legged and wheeled locomotion in different types of terrain is the main objective.
Legged locomotion is effective in extreme ground conditions, but less effective with high speed on flat hard ground where wheeled locomotion is effective.
Here is introduced a way to combine legged and wheeled locomotion to gain effective mobility for mobile robot which has to operate in variable conditions including both natural terrain and structured environment.
Even though this rover is designed especially as toy and educational kit, but still it requires great enthusiasm and technical skill to convert this design from-idea to life.
OBJECTIVE
The “Hybrid Exploration Rover”, will have the ability to perform in different types of surfaces. It will be able to perform efficiently on flat surfaces by using wheeled locomotion and on rough terrain by using legged locomotion.
It will incorporate an Innovative Mechanism - “Inversion of Crank and Slotted Lever Quick Return Motion Mechanism”, for powering the legs.
As this rover is designed especially as toy and educational kit, the great attempt will be done to reduce the development cost for making it affordable for various purposes.
One such attempt is to reduce the cost by utilizing only three motors to develop this - “Hybrid Exploration Rover”.
Hybrid Exploration Rover
“Hybrid Exploration Rover”, as the name suggests is designed with the combination of Four Legs and Four Wheels for exploration purposes.
“Hybrid Exploration Rover”, uses Four wheels for movement on flat and even surfaces, where as it uses Four Legs to overcome the Uneven and Sandy surfaces etc. Thus, the combination of the two Locomotion methods, adds more capability to the “Hybrid Exploration Rover”, to navigate on many type of surfaces.
Legged Locomotion
Legged Locomotion is powered by a single Motor. There is not any problem for designing its walking algorithm especially for synchronizing the legs, since all the four legs are powered simultaneously by a gear train utilizing single motor. It utilizes an Innovative Mechanism - “Inversion of Crank and Slotted Lever Quick Return Motion Mechanism”, for powering the legs.
In fact the legged movement is same as a Lame walks with the help of his walking crutch. Disable person with the single leg (which is in constant contact with the ground ) used to lift the walking crutch, and move it forward then pressing or putting his all weight on the walking crutch, he use to lift his body and move forward. Again the same motion continues. Thus, the disable person with a single leg moves forward.
In this rover, the four legs are powered with the single motor. And, the other four fixed supports are used to move the rover forward. This four fixed supports have wheels which are coupled with the motors, at their end which comes in contact with the ground.
Wheeled Locomotion
Out of four wheels, two front wheels are free and two rear wheels are coupled directly with the shaft of the motors. All the four wheels are placed at the end of four fixed supports. Thus, whenever wheeled Locomotion are required the Motor, (which is used to give power to the Legged Locomotion) is switched ‘ON’, and this motor is switched ‘ON’, until and unless the fixed supports are lowered down to the extent that the wheels coupled with it comes in contact with the ground, where as the Legged are raised sufficiently high from the ground. Then the time comes to switch ‘OFF’, the Legged Locomotion Motor. And, then the wheeled motors can be powered as per the required direction.
CONCLUSION
A well functioning prototype has been manufactured. Inspite of the raw components or say raw parts utilized to assemble this “Hybrid Exploration Rover”, it shows excellent performance surpassing my expectations.
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