A New Hybrid Locomotion Mobile Robot for Semi-structured Environments

The article presents a small-scale prototype of a hybrid locomotion robot combining two types of mobility, i. e. on wheels and on legs. The prototype was developed from the authors’ previous experience with a robot of the same type. Particular attention was devoted to simplifying kinematic layout in order to minimize the number of motors and provide the simplest possible control operations while ensuring a high degree of dexterity and speed. The article describes robot characteristics and the kinematic arrangements permitting motion on horizontal planes, ramps and stairs.