Multi-legged robot system for deep space exploration

Planetary rovers are required to explore rough and steep areas such as craters and cliffs to achieve scientific goals. Most of the proposed rovers have some wheels to move on a planetary surface. However, it is difficult to traverse on a rough terrain flexibly. A legged rover can provide higher capability of moving in such a rough terrain than wheeled robots. Therefore the authors have studied a small and lightweight rover which can move across a rough terrain such as a steep slope inside craters. This paper presents the system design concept, architecture, and configuration of the walking rover for planetary exploration. This paper also proposes a new walking algorithm on a rough terrain