Design and analysis of a deployable tetrahedron-based mobile robot constructed by Sarrus linkages

Abstract In this paper, a novel deployable tetrahedron-based mobile robot constructed by Sarrus linkages with eight degrees of freedom (DOFs) is proposed. The robot is composed of a core tetrahedron and four branch tetrahedrons with a total of eight nodes and 18 planar RRR chains (R denotes revolute joint), and each node and any two branch chains connected to it is a Sarrus linkage. Referring to the kinematics of the general-type Sarrus linkage, the kinematics of the robot is analyzed in detail. Based on it, two non-impact rolling gaits of rolling in Direction I/II and rolling in Direction III are discussed, then the continuous non-impact rolling locomotion is elaborated. Besides, two folding modes of folding as an umbrella shape and deploying in radially reciprocating motion are developed. Finally, a prototype is manufactured, the rolling experiments indicate that the robot can roll in any direction for arbitrary distance with the trajectory of a series of triangles, and the two additional folding modes increase the convenience of storage and transportation of the robot.

[1]  Arthur C. Sanderson,et al.  Tetrobot: a modular system for hyper-redundant parallel robotics , 1995, Proceedings of 1995 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[2]  Guang Meng,et al.  A Fast Rolling Soft Robot Driven by Dielectric Elastomer , 2018, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[3]  Luca Bruzzone,et al.  Review article: locomotion systems for ground mobile robots in unstructured environments , 2012 .

[4]  Rajesh Elara Mohan,et al.  Scorpio: A biomimetic reconfigurable rolling-crawling robot , 2016 .

[5]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  Mobility analysis of a complex structured ball based on mechanism decomposition and equivalent screw system analysis , 2004 .

[6]  Wenbin Li,et al.  Bioinspired design of a landing system with soft shock absorbers for autonomous aerial robots , 2018, J. Field Robotics.

[7]  Rongjie Kang,et al.  Deployable Mechanism Design for Span Morphing Wing Aircraft , 2016 .

[8]  Kyu-Jin Cho,et al.  An origami-inspired, self-locking robotic arm that can be folded flat , 2018, Science Robotics.

[9]  Nan Zhang,et al.  Rolling 4R linkages , 2012 .

[10]  Yujin Wang,et al.  Dynamics of a rolling robot of closed five-arc-shaped-bar linkage , 2018 .

[11]  Korey Cook,et al.  Gait design for a Tetrahedral Worm , 2016, 2016 IEEE International Conference on Electro Information Technology (EIT).

[12]  Arthur C. Sanderson,et al.  Dynamic rolling, locomotion planning, and control of an icosahedral modular robot , 2000, Proceedings. 2000 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2000) (Cat. No.00CH37113).

[13]  Tao Xu,et al.  Synthesis and analysis of Fulleroid-like deployable Archimedean mechanisms based on an overconstrained eight-bar linkage , 2019, Mechanism and Machine Theory.

[14]  Chung-Ching Lee.  Kinematic Analysis and Dimensional Synthesis of General-Type Sarrus Mechanism , 1996 .

[15]  Pamela Elizabeth Clark,et al.  Tetrahedral Robotics for Space Exploration , 2007 .

[16]  Heping Liu,et al.  Analysis for Feasibility of the Method for Bars Driving the Ball Tensegrity Robot , 2017 .

[17]  J. Carvalho,et al.  Motion analysis of a six-legged robot using Bennett's linkage as leg , 2016 .

[18]  L. Wendt,et al.  Gait Design and Modeling of a 12-Tetrahedron Walker Robot , 2007 .

[19]  Ran Liu,et al.  Locomotion Optimization and Manipulation Planning of a Tetrahedron-Based Mobile Mechanism with Binary Control , 2018 .

[20]  Yanqiong Fei,et al.  Locomotion modeling of a triangular closed-chain soft rolling robot , 2019, Mechatronics.

[21]  Matteo Zoppi,et al.  Novel Deployable Mechanisms With Decoupled Degrees-of-Freedom , 2016 .

[22]  A. C. Sanderson,et al.  Dynamics and distributed control of modular robotic systems , 2000, 2000 26th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. IECON 2000. 2000 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics, Control and Instrumentation. 21st Century Technologies.

[23]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  A Sarrus-like overconstrained eight-bar linkage and its associated Fulleroid-like platonic deployable mechanisms , 2018, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science.

[24]  Xianwen Kong,et al.  A reconfigurable tri-prism mobile robot with eight modes , 2018, Robotica.

[25]  Yan Chen,et al.  Gait analysis and control of a deployable robot , 2018 .

[26]  Jian S. Dai,et al.  Trifurcation of the Evolved Sarrus-Motion Linkage Based on Parametric Constraints , 2014 .

[27]  Yoshihiro Kawahara,et al.  Continuous Shape Changing Locomotion of 32-legged Spherical Robot , 2018, 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).

[28]  François Michaud,et al.  Roball, the Rolling Robot , 2002, Auton. Robots.