Wheel Mechanism for Moving on Bumpy Surfaces Using Tensegrity Structure Including Axle Hub

This research proposes a new wheel design for mobile machines running under bumpy, fragile, and steep slopes such as rocky areas, icy fields, and bumpy off-roads. The wheel is composed of a minimal Tensegrity structure with three rods and an axle hub, which is a part of the Tensegrity structure and passes rotational force onto the wheel. Tensegrity has many unique features, such as deforming as a rubber ball while contacting the external surface with its rigid rod's endpoints, which are helpful as a wheel. The proposed wheel is expected to perform better than the other wheels, such as rubber tires and crawlers, by including the axle hub as a part of the Tensegrity. In this report, we explain the details of the proposed Tensegrity wheel. We also show the results of the experiments of the proposed wheels when actively driven by a motor and when rotated passively. We compared the wheel with a “Wheg” like the proposed wheel except for having no tension and its rods fixed. The results show the high usefulness of proposed Tensegrity wheels including the axel hub in climbing steps.