Proposal of semiautonomous centipede-like robot for rubbles

In this paper, we propose a multi-legged robot that is designed for operating on rubble. Generally, conventional multi-legged robots have many actuators for driving the legs and body. Hence, control in the case of these robots is more complicated than that in the case of crawler robots, and it is very difficult to operate multi-legged robots adaptively in a complex environment like rubble. To solve this problem, we have designed a mechanism of the legged robot for reducing the controller load by utilizing a passive mechanism. To design the robot, we focus on a centipede. First, we observe the behavior of a centipede using a high-speed camera, and then, to realize this behavior by a simple mechanism, we propose a multi-legged robot that is realized by connecting many links serially through rubber joints. In this mechanism, every joint has a leg on both sides, and the robot moves regularly like a centipede. The elasticity of the rubber joints compensates for the bumps on the ground. To control the moving direction, wires are installed through the links, and by pulling the wires, the body of the robot can be lifted up or turned. By simply pulling the suitable wires, we can control the moving direction of the robot. We do not have to control many joints individually for crossing bumps. They can move passively and can cross the bumps. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed robot, we have developed a prototype robot and conducted certain experiments. The results show that the robot can move on rubble to desired positions.