A reconfigurable mobile sensor network system for rough terrain

This paper presents the design and implementation of a novel reconfigurable mobile sensor network system for rough terrain. The proposed system is composed of modular robotic nodes that can be physically connected and disconnected to transform into various configurations. Therefore, they can adapt to changing terrain conditions in real-world applications. The nodes communicate with each other through the ZigBee protocol and therefore they can be wirelessly connected to form a ZigBee-based sensor network. Two gait planning methods have been proposed to enable a three-node assembly and each individual node to crawl like an inchworm. The basic locomotion performance of the implemented prototype system has been verified in the slope-climbing and self-deployment experiments.