Development of Souryu-I connected crawler vehicle for inspection of narrow and winding space

A prototype of the connected crawler vehicle for inspection in a narrow and winding space, named Souryu-I, was developed for the purpose of searching someone who is trapped in a collapsed house or building. The requirements of both ease of control and toughness are the basic design criteria of this vehicle. Based on these principles, we determine the actual vehicle mechanical characteristics. The mechanical design and performance of this vehicle are discussed.