[Abstract]: This paper discusses the mechanics and control specifications of a hybrid walking and wheeled robot currently being built at the Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia. The vehicle, called the “Hydrobug”, is designed to transport three adult passengers over extremely rugged and broken terrain in “walking mode”, and when commanded, it will be able to travel quickly over relatively smooth roads and surfaces in “wheeled” or 4-wheel-drive mode. The need for high speed, low cost and useful large scale walking vehicles is highlighted, followed by a brief discussion of the main mechanical design concepts, hydraulic circuit and control architecture for this new type of hybrid walking and wheeled vehicle.
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