Design and experiment of a novel link-type shape shifting modular robot series

Being hyper-redundant, modularized and continuously driving, link-type robots have high mobility under unstructured environment as the nature snake does. In this study, we have experimented on the nature snake and analyzed the link-type structure's character in detail, and then we have proposed a novel link-type shape shifting modular robot. The key advantage of this design over other link-type vehicle is their adaptability and flexibility for its various configurations. Robot in such link type can change its configuration to adapt to the environment and mission by reconfiguring and shape shifting. A standard module is mainly composed of a link arm, a link handle, an offset pitch joint, an offset yaw joint, and the track driven system. The adjacent modules are connected through the link arm and the link handle. The multi-module robot can change it shape by the motion of the offset joints. After modification of the standard module, a two-module robot and a three-module robot's assembled structure have been designed respectively. After planning of their locomotion configuration, locomotion experiments of these two robots have been made on the slope, over the trench, up the stairs and on the debris. Experiments have demonstrated that such kind structure permits good mobility' and high flexibility under unstructured environment. Being simple, small and portable, the tracked robot platform series have been developed for potential application such as urban search and rescue (USAR) efforts, and planetary exploration