2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Study of locomotion on irregular terrain about trackchangeable walking machine

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21760191
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
Research Institution	Saitama University (2010) National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster (2009)
Principal Investigator	HODOSHIMA Ryuichi Saitama University, 大学院・理工学研究科, 助教 (10432006)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	脚クローラ複合移動体 / 不整地移動 / 機構設計 / 環境認識
Research Abstract	This study has conducted to improve a locomotion on irregular terrain of track-changeable walking machine. Fundamental theoretical considerations and several experiments have conducted. As for the theoretical considerations, (1) switch motion of mobile mode, (2) hybrid motion by the combination of track and leg, are examined using dynamics simulator. They are evaluated from viewpoints of required time, static stability, and energy consumption. As for the experimental discussion, the switch motion and the hybrid motion are realized using improved prototype machine. The prototype succeeded in performing the hybrid motion and climbing up a large step that it could not by only track mechanism.