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Kinematic modeling and hybrid motion planning for wheeled-legged rovers to traverse challenging terrains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2023

Bike Zhu ,
Jun He Open the ORCID record for Jun He [Opens in a new window]  and
Jiaze Sun
Bike Zhu
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
Jun He*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
Jiaze Sun
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
*
Corresponding author: Jun He; Email: jhe@sjtu.edu.cn
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Abstract

This paper presents a kinematics modeling and hybrid motion planning framework for wheeled-legged rovers. It is a unified solution for wheeled-legged rovers to traverse multiple challenging terrains using hybrid locomotion. A kinematic model is first established to describe the rover’s motions. Then, a hybrid motion planning framework is proposed to determine the rover’s gait patterns and parameterize the legs’ and the body’s trajectories. Furthermore, an optimization algorithm based on B-spline is utilized to minimize the motors’ energy dissipation and generate smooth trajectories. The wheeled and legged hybridization allows the rover for faster locomotion while maintaining high stability. Besides, it also improves the rover’s ability to overcome obstacles. Prototype experiments are carried out in more complex environments to verify the rover’s flexibility and maneuverability to traverse irregular terrains. The proposed algorithm reduces the swing amplitude by 83.3% compared to purely legged locomotion.

Keywords

wheeled-legged roverkinematicsmotion optimizationhybrid locomotiontrajectory planning
Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 42 , Issue 1 , January 2024 , pp. 153 - 178
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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