Tilting Wheel Module for Mobile Robot Grip on Bumpy Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile robots face challenges in maintaining balance and grip on various road surfaces, particularly bumpy terrain, and conventional suspension systems increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A driving module with a frame supporting a robot body and paired wheel units that tilt in front and rear directions about a virtual axis, featuring a rotating shaft, ball joints, and restoring force units to maintain balance and grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional suspension structure is applied to improve grip on various terrains, then the robot's ability to travel on bumpy road surfaces is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is divided into multiple independent components: a rotation shaft, multiple wheels arranged around the rotation shaft, and individual suspension structures for each wheel. This segmentation allows each wheel to independently adjust to terrain variations, improving grip without requiring a complex overall suspension system
Solution Approach 2:
The suspension structure enables dynamic adjustment of each wheel's position relative to the rotation shaft. When the robot encounters bumpy terrain, each wheel can independently move up or down along its suspension mechanism, maintaining continuous contact with the ground and improving grip force adaptively
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple wheels are arranged around a rotation shaft to improve stability, then the robot's balance on various surfaces is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple wheels are merged into a single wheel assembly that rotates together around a common rotation shaft. This unified structure provides stable support across multiple contact points while maintaining a relatively simple overall design compared to having completely independent suspension systems for each wheel
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation shaft serves multiple functions: it connects multiple wheels to the robot body, allows the wheels to rotate for movement, and enables the entire wheel assembly to tilt for steering. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining balance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The module allows the wheels to tilt and adjust to road conditions, maintaining balance and grip through four points of contact, while the restoring force units alleviate impact and restore the wheels to their original position, ensuring stable movement.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient body interposed between the first plate and the second plate and providing an elastic force to restore the rotating shaft to its original state before the tilting operation
Data Source
AI summary
A driving module and a mobile robot comprising the same are disclosed. The driving module according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a frame supporting a robot body; and a pair of wheel units respectively coupled to left and right areas of the frame to tilt in front and rear directions about a virtual axis line extending in left and right directions, wherein each of the pair of wheel units include: a base member rotatably coupled to the frame about the virtual axis line; a front-wheel rotatably coupled to the front portion of the base member based on the virtual axis line about an axis line parallel to the virtual axis line; a rear-wheel rotatably coupled to the rear portion of the base member based on the virtual axis line about an axis line parallel to the virtual axis line; and a driving unit providing a rotational driving force to at least one of the front-wheel and the rear-wheel.