Purpose
This study aims to the complex and unpredictable terrain environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau scientific research station, such as cement road, wetland, gravel desert, snowfield, ice surface, grassland, slimy ground, steep slope, step, etc., a reconfigurable walking mechanism based on two movement modes of wheel and triangular crawler was proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
By analyzing the deformation mechanism of the walking mechanism, a reconfigurable wheel-crawler-integrated walking mechanism and the configuration scheme are designed. The analysis of the kinematics and mechanical properties of the swing arm system and the deformation mechanism of the walking mechanism.
Findings
The reconfigurable wheel-crawler-integrated walking mechanism can be switched between the wheel and triangular crawler modes by driving the deformation mechanism. Through the numerical simulation of its movement process, and the trial production and experiment of the prototype, indicates the validity of the reconfigurable wheel-crawler-integrated walking mechanism design.
Originality/value
The work of this paper provides a reconfigurable wheel-crawler-integrated-walking mechanism, which can be used by robots in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau scientific research station. It has excellent reconfigurability and can effectively improve the robot’s adaptability to complex terrain.
To improve the unstructured terrain traversing performance of the scientific research robot of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau station, the parameters of the track shoe of the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism were studied. Based on a typical track shoe puncture effect model, the experimental design was carried out based on the surface response method, and the dynamic model of the triangular crawler mode of the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism was constructed and tested using RecurDyn V9R3 software. Through an analysis of the simulation results, the interaction of the grouser parameters was further clarified, and the regression equation of the traction force of the walking mechanism was obtained. The grouser parameters that enabled the reconfigurable wheel-crawler walking mechanism to have the maximum traction were obtained; these will be used to guide the machining of the prototype walking mechanism.
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