Reconfigurable Joint Track Mobile Robot for Complex Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile robots have limited terrain adaptability and flexibility, making them unsuitable for navigating complex terrains such as narrow passages, ravines, steps, and rough roads, which are common in disaster and surveying sites.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable joint track compound mobile robot with yaw joints and auxiliary track modules that can change angles and walking forms, allowing for flexible movement by using a clutch brake system and driving mechanisms to switch between main and auxiliary tracks, enabling the robot to adapt to various terrain environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single form of walking mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the terrain adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is divided into multiple independent modules: main track modules, auxiliary track modules, and yaw joints. Each module can function independently or combine with others, allowing the robot to reconfigure its walking mechanism for different terrains without requiring a completely different design for each terrain type.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs dynamically reconfigurable structures through yaw joints that can change angles and auxiliary track modules that can be deployed or retracted. This allows the walking mechanism to adapt its configuration in real-time based on terrain requirements, transitioning between single-mode and multi-mode operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot structure is fixed, then the ease of operation is improved, but the flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The main track and auxiliary track modules are designed with universal interfaces and standardized connection mechanisms through the yaw joints. This allows the same basic module design to serve multiple functions - the auxiliary track modules can be used for narrow passage navigation, step climbing, or rough terrain traversal, reducing the need for specialized mechanisms for each function.
3Adaptability or versatility
If auxiliary track modules and yaw joints are added, then the terrain adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary track modules are designed to be nested within or alongside the main track structure when not in use. The yaw joints provide compact folding mechanisms that allow the auxiliary components to be stored in a space-efficient manner, minimizing the increase in overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to deploy these components when needed for specific terrain challenges.
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable joint track compound mobile robot has a main vehicle body, yaw joints and an auxiliary track module. The main vehicle body has a main track, and a clutch brake and a first wheel joint arranged in a main track driving wheel. A second wheel joint is arranged in a main track driven wheel. The main vehicle body is provided with main track driving mechanisms and a wheel joint driving mechanism. The main track driving wheel is driven to rotate by the main track driving mechanisms, which are connected with the clutch brake. The second wheel joint is driven to rotate by the wheel joint driving mechanism. Each wheel joint is correspondingly connected with the yaw joints, which are rotatably connected with the auxiliary track module. A yaw driving mechanism that drives the auxiliary track module to swing is arranged in each yaw joint.