Multimode Locomotion via SuperBot Robots

Wei-Min Shen, Maks Krivokon, Harris Chiu, Jacob Everist, Michael Rubenstein, and Jagadesh Venkatesh. Multimode Locomotion via SuperBot Robots. In Proc. 2006 IEEE Intl. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, pp. 2552–2557, Orlando, FL, 2006.

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Abstract

This paper presents a modular and reconfigurable robot for multiple locomotion modes based on reconfigurable modules. Each mode consists of characteristics for the environment type, speed, turning-ability, energy-efficiency, and recoverability from failures. The paper demonstrates this solution by the Superbot robot that combines advantages from MTRAN, CONRO and others. Experimental results, both in real robots and in simulation, have shown the validity of the approach and demonstrated the movements of forward, backward, turn, sidewinder, maneuver, and travel on batteries up to 500 meters on a flat terrain. In physics-based simulation, Superbot can perform as snake, caterpillar, insect, spider, rolling track, Hwalker, etc., and move 1.0 meter/second on flat terrain with less than 6W/module, and climb slopes of no less 40 degrees.

BibTeX Entry

@InProceedings{	  shen2006multimode-locomotion-via-superbot-robots,
  abstract	= {This paper presents a modular and reconfigurable robot for
		  multiple locomotion modes based on reconfigurable modules.
		  Each mode consists of characteristics for the environment
		  type, speed, turning-ability, energy-efficiency, and
		  recoverability from failures. The paper demonstrates this
		  solution by the Superbot robot that combines advantages
		  from MTRAN, CONRO and others. Experimental results, both in
		  real robots and in simulation, have shown the validity of
		  the approach and demonstrated the movements of forward,
		  backward, turn, sidewinder, maneuver, and travel on
		  batteries up to 500 meters on a flat terrain. In
		  physics-based simulation, Superbot can perform as snake,
		  caterpillar, insect, spider, rolling track, Hwalker, etc.,
		  and move 1.0 meter/second on flat terrain with less than
		  6W/module, and climb slopes of no less 40 degrees.},
  address	= {Orlando, FL},
  author	= {Wei-Min Shen and Maks Krivokon and Harris Chiu and Jacob Everist and Michael Rubenstein and Jagadesh Venkatesh},
  booktitle	= icra-06,
  pages		= {2552--2557},
  title		= {Multimode Locomotion via {SuperBot} Robots},
  year		= {2006}
}