TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of climbing in circular and rectangular pipes with a reconfigurable sprawling robot
AU - Inbar, Ori
AU - Zarrouk, David
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by the Helmsley Charitable Trust through the Agricultural, Biological and Cognitive Robotics Initiative and by the Marcus Endowment Fund, both at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/7/1
Y1 - 2022/7/1
N2 - This paper presents an analytical description and experimental results for a reconfigurable field robot that can climb inside circular and rectangular pipes. The robot is fitted with two mechanisms that allow it to change its width and height and shift its center of mass (COM) to adapt itself to the size of the pipe. We start by describing the kinematic model of the robot as a function of its sprawl and four bar extension mechanism (FBEM). Next, we develop a force analysis based on the robot's geometry, its configuration, the position of its center of mass (COM), the diameter of the pipe, and the coefficient of friction (COF). We then develop strategies for driving, climbing and transitioning between the two modes. Although a high COF increases the robot's grip, it reduces its ability to reconfigure its shape, which it needs to transition between its climbing/driving modes. Based on this analysis, we designed a control algorithm comprised of actuation sequences to automatically drive the robot inside pipes, including the transition phases. The results show that the robot successfully executed its climbing tasks (see video).
AB - This paper presents an analytical description and experimental results for a reconfigurable field robot that can climb inside circular and rectangular pipes. The robot is fitted with two mechanisms that allow it to change its width and height and shift its center of mass (COM) to adapt itself to the size of the pipe. We start by describing the kinematic model of the robot as a function of its sprawl and four bar extension mechanism (FBEM). Next, we develop a force analysis based on the robot's geometry, its configuration, the position of its center of mass (COM), the diameter of the pipe, and the coefficient of friction (COF). We then develop strategies for driving, climbing and transitioning between the two modes. Although a high COF increases the robot's grip, it reduces its ability to reconfigure its shape, which it needs to transition between its climbing/driving modes. Based on this analysis, we designed a control algorithm comprised of actuation sequences to automatically drive the robot inside pipes, including the transition phases. The results show that the robot successfully executed its climbing tasks (see video).
KW - Climbing robots
KW - Crawling robot
KW - Field robots
KW - Mechanical design
KW - Reconfigurable robot
KW - Sprawl tuning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126926336&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2022.104832
DO - 10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2022.104832
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85126926336
VL - 173
JO - Mechanism and Machine Theory
JF - Mechanism and Machine Theory
SN - 0374-1052
M1 - 104832
ER -