Design and Research of a Novel Wheel-Track Rescue Robot

To improve the ability of rescue robots to navigate complex rescue environments, a novel wheel-track rescue robot is proposed, featuring rapid switching capability between wheel and track modes. The wheel-track morphing mechanism of the rescue robot is designed and analyzed. Furthermore, the roundness error and the track-ground contact length are concurrently defined as objective functions, with corresponding mathematical models developed to assess robot performance. Multi-objective optimization is performed using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). To enhance NSGA-II’s population diversity, search capability, and Pareto front distribution uniformity, modifications are implemented to its elitist strategy, crossover operator, and mutation operator. Moreover, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed enhancements improve algorithmic convergence, population diversity, and exploratory efficacy. Concomitantly, the uniformity of the Pareto front distribution is enhanced, potentially yielding a broader spectrum of viable design solutions. The best solution identified by the improved algorithm exhibits superior values for both objective functions compared to other algorithms. Finally, a functional prototype of the morphing mechanism was successfully fabricated, providing a platform for subsequent robotic development and investigation.