Last updated
Paweł Tomiło
The Moon's surface is covered with a layer of loose, weathered rock (fine regolith) several meters thick. This type of surface can create problems for the movement of small lunar rovers, especially in sloping areas. Legged robots are able to perform complex operations, but their design requires appropriate sensors to maintain balance, on the other hand, in the case of wheeled robots there is a risk of slipping. In order to combine the advantages of both, it was decided to create a hybrid robot. The main purpose of the article is to present the design and testing of a prototype lunar rover. The design of a hybrid robot, which combines the characteristics of wheeled and legged robots, is shown in the article. The center of gravity may be dynamically adjusted thanks to the use of two robot arms with wheels attached. Furthermore, the robot can "crawl" on sloping areas where a wheeled vehicle could slip owing to loose ground. Crawling is possible through the use of a mechanism for swinging the blades, which are mounted on the arms. The article describes the design of the rover, describes the results of research regarding the performance of crawling mechanism, and presents the limitations of the current design of the rover and presents possible improvements and further development work.
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