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A novel mobile robot with origami wheels designed for navigating sandy terrains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2024

Junfeng Hu Open the ORCID record for Junfeng Hu [Opens in a new window] ,
Shen Shu  and
Weitao Han
Junfeng Hu*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Shen Shu
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
Weitao Han
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, China
*
Corresponding author: Junfeng Hu; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Sand robots play a vital role as mobile tools for human exploration of desert regions, facilitating resource transportation and exploration. However, desert areas primarily consist of beaches or dunes, resulting in a highly diverse and complex terrain environment that demands enhanced adaptability from sandy mobile robots. Traditional wheeled robots currently face challenges such as skidding, limited climbing ability, and inadequate obstacle avoidance capabilities in sandy environments. To address these issues and enable effective adaptation to the intricate sand environment, we propose a novel sandy mobile robot equipped with Kresling origami wheels. The origami wheel can dynamically adjust its width and morphology through Kresling origami folding. Experimental tests were conducted to illustrate the impact of width variation on the robot’s mobility velocity, propulsive force, climbing performance, and carrying capacity. The self-folding malleability of the origami wheel empowers the robot to efficiently accomplish diverse tasks, including swift movement on flat sand surfaces, seamless crossing of narrow channels, and intelligent obstacle avoidance. By successfully completing these multimodal tasks while adapting to varying requirements, our robot demonstrates promising prospects for practical applications of mobile robots equipped with origami wheels – paving the way for wider adaptation and utilization of sand mobile robots.

Keywords

origami mobile robotsandy terrainsKresling origamislipping ratioorigami wheel
Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 42 , Issue 11 , November 2024 , pp. 3731 - 3747
Copyright
© Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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