Segmented Grooved Chassis for Wheeled Robot Obstacle Climbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rolling robots for military and civil security applications face limitations in navigating rough terrain, such as curbs and stairs, and are often too heavy or slow for quick deployment and operation in close combat or urban environments.
Innovation Solution
A rolling robot with wheels articulated on two parallel axes and a chassis featuring a notched profile with a V-shaped groove between the axes, allowing it to climb obstacles without momentum and maintain speed, while being lightweight and adaptable for one-sided or reversible operation, equipped with flat brushless motors and materials resistant to harsh conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is equipped with tracks to handle rough terrain, then it can navigate curbs and stairs, but its weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is divided into two separate halves that can be assembled in different configurations. Each half contains a groove that accommodates obstacles, allowing the robot to handle rough terrain without requiring heavy tracked locomotion systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from changing the locomotion type (wheels to tracks) to changing the chassis geometry (adding grooves at strategic heights). This dimensional approach to obstacle clearance maintains lightweight wheel-based mobility while achieving curb-climbing capability.
2Weight of moving object
If the robot is made lightweight for quick deployment by hand, then it can be launched easily, but it may lack the power to overcome obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is segmented into two halves with integrated grooves, allowing the lightweight structure to maintain obstacle-crossing capability through geometric design rather than additional heavy components.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis geometry is modified by introducing grooves at specific depths and positions, changing the physical parameters of the structure to enable obstacle clearance without increasing mass.
3Speed
If the robot moves quickly with good fuel efficiency using wheels, then it achieves high speed, but it cannot climb curbs or stair steps
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is divided into two halves with grooves that allow the robot to maintain wheel-based high-speed mobility while acquiring the ability to climb obstacles through geometric adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved chassis design provides multi-functionality, enabling the robot to perform both high-speed flat terrain movement and obstacle climbing with the same wheel-based locomotion system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is equipped with a notched profile chassis to climb obstacles, then it can progress over curbs and stairs, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The notched profile is achieved by segmenting the chassis into two halves with grooves, which is simpler than creating a monolithic complex structure. The segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly while achieving the desired obstacle-crossing capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a rolling robot (1000) comprising wheels (1010, 1020) articulated about two parallel axes of rotation and a chassis having an essentially planar surface between the two axes of rotation, characterized in that the surface of the chassis exhibits, between the two axes of rotation, a groove (2010, 2020) running parallel to the axes of rotation to allow the robot (1000) to pass over an obstacle that exhibits a corner without that corner striking the chassis between the axes of rotation.