8th Annual Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium
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Adaptive Locomotion for Planetary Exploration Robots


Presenters/Authors(s)

Ian Long, Cagri Kilic

Category

Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology - Oral presentation

Mentor

Cagri Kilic

Abstract or Description

As humanity begins to explore deeper into the universe, the field of robotics has become more crucial than ever. One of the greatest challenges for planetary exploration robots is navigating the variety of surfaces and obstacles that the robot will encounter on its journey. This study investigates the integration of an adaptive dual-mobility system into a quadrupedal robot, utilizing legged locomotion and shape-shifting wheels to improve the robot's mobility performance for planetary exploration applications. The research focuses on the design and development of a functional wheel prototype that can transform from a circular wheel configuration to a flattened rim mechanism (FRM), increasing the ground-contact patch to better navigate difficult terrain. The principles of terramechanics are used to optimize and evaluate the system’s performance across several soils, specifically focusing on the models for sinkage and compression resistance to reduce the possibility of entrapment in soft, deformable soils. Experimental testing is conducted by applying a range of forces on three locomotion system configurations (wheel, FRM, and foot) in two planetary soil simulants and measuring the sinkage depth. The empirical testing results show that the FRM configuration is better at reducing sinkage when traversing soft, deformable soils compared to the wheel or foot configurations. The findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable insights into the design and operation of future planetary exploration robots, with implications for both robotic and human exploration missions.

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