Design of a novel side-mounted leg mechanism with high flexibility for a multi-mission quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT

Yifan WU, Sheng GUO, Luquan LI, Lianzheng NIU, Xiao LI

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Front. Mech. Eng. ›› 2023, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (2) : 24. DOI: 10.1007/s11465-022-0740-0
RESEARCH ARTICLE
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Design of a novel side-mounted leg mechanism with high flexibility for a multi-mission quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT

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Abstract

Earth rover is a class of emerging wheeled-leg robots for nature exploration. At present, few methods for these robots’ leg design utilize a side-mounted spatial parallel mechanism. Thus, this paper presents a complete design process of a novel 5-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) hybrid leg mechanism for our quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT. First, a general approach is proposed for constructing the novel leg mechanism. Subsequently, by evaluating the basic locomotion task (LT) of the rover based on screw theory, we determine the desired motion characteristic of the side-mounted leg and carry out its two feasible configurations. With regard to the synthesis method of the parallel mechanism, a family of concise hybrid leg mechanisms using the 6-DOF limbs and an L1F1C limb (which can provide a constraint force and a couple) is designed. In verifying the motion characteristics of this kind of leg, we select a typical (3-UPRU&RRRR)&R mechanism and then analyze its kinematic model, singularities, velocity mapping, workspace, dexterity, statics, and kinetostatic performance. Furthermore, the virtual quadruped rover equipped with this innovative leg mechanism is built. Various basic and specific LTs of the rover are demonstrated by simulation, which indicates that the flexibility of the legs can help the rover achieve multitasking.

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Keywords

design synthesis / parallel mechanism / hybrid leg mechanism / screw theory / quadruped robot

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Yifan WU, Sheng GUO, Luquan LI, Lianzheng NIU, Xiao LI. Design of a novel side-mounted leg mechanism with high flexibility for a multi-mission quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT. Front. Mech. Eng., 2023, 18(2): 24 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11465-022-0740-0

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Nomenclature

Abbreviations
CCylindrical joint
COMCenter of mass
DOFDegree-of-freedom
GCIGlobal conditioning index
L1F1CPassive constraining limb provides both a constraint force and a constraint couple
LCILocal condition index
LTLocomotion task
MFMotion form
PPrismatic joint
PPrismatic joint with actuation
RRevolute
RRevolute joint with actuation
R1Type-1 revolute joint
R2Type-2 revolute joint
SSpherical joint
TTranslation
UUniversal joint
Variables
aiVector OBAi
Baiai in the base coordinate
AFrobenius norm of matrix Am×n
biVector OPBi
Bbibi in the base coordinate
dDimension of the wrench system
dVector CD
d'Vector OBD
eVector DE
e'Vector OBE
fConstraint force
FA support force or static friction
F1Support force along the y-axis
F2, F3Static frictions along the x- and z-axis, respectively
F1(t), F2(t), F3(t)Time-varying functions of F1, F2, and F3, respectively
GGravity force
hHeight of the side-mounted base along the y-axis
JJacobian matrix of the 3-UPRU&RRRR parallel mechanism
Jc_RRRRConstraint Jacobian for the RRRR limbs
Jk_UPRUActuation Jacobian for the UPRU limbs
JvLinear velocity mapping part of J
JωAngular velocity mapping part of J
kVector OPK
Bkk in the base coordinate
Pkk in the moving platform coordinate
Wkk in the wheel coordinate
k(J)Condition number of the Jacobian matrix J
liLength of the vector AiBi
liVector AiBi
l˙iLinear velocity of the P joint
lmaxMaximum length of the P joint
lminMinimum length of the P joint
L˙Vector which contains all velocities of the P joints
mConstraint couple
MTorque caused by friction
M(t)Time-varying function of M
NSupport force
OBOriginal point of the base coordinate system
OPOriginal point of the moving platform coordinate system
OWOriginal point of the leg-end coordinate system
pVector OBOP
pWVector OBOW
BpWPosition vector of the leg-end in the base coordinate
q˙ijIntensity of the jth joint in the ith limb
Q˙Velocity vector of all joints
rLocation vector of the twist $
riLocation vector of the ith twist or screw $i
rdrLocation vector of the dth constraint screw S/dr
BRPRotation matrix from the moving platform frame to the base frame
BRWRotation matrix from the leg-end frame to the base frame
PRWRotation matrix from the leg-end frame to the moving platform frame
WRPInverse of PRW
sDirection vector of the twist $
siDirection vector of the ith twist or screw $i
sijDirection vector of S/ij
sdrDirection vector of the dth constraint screw S/dr
tTime
uliUnit vector of P joint
udUnit vector of the linkage CD
Buliuli in the base coordinate
BvVector v in the base frame
BvOPLinear velocity of moving platform
PvVector v in the moving platform frame
WvVector v in the leg-end frame
wWidth of the side-mounted base along the x-axis
wVector KOW
WSWorkspcae
xx-axis of the base coordinate system
x˙Velocity in the x direction
xPx-axis of the moving platform coordinate system
x(t)Position function on the x-axis
X˙Velocity of moving platform
yy-axis of the base coordinate system
y˙Velocity in the y direction
yPy-axis of the moving platform coordinate system
y(t)Position function on the y-axis
zz-axis of the base coordinate system
zPz-axis of the moving platform coordinate system
αAttitude angle about the x-axis
α˙Velocity of α
αRotation angle about the xP-axis
α(t)Orientation function about α'
βAttitude angle about the y-axis
β˙Velocity of β
γAttitude angle about the z-axis
γ˙Velocity of γ
γ'Rotation angle about the zP-axis
γ(t)Orientation function about γ'
ηiValue of GCI
ηv, ηωGCI of the linear and angular motions, respectively
θRotation angle of the R joint in the RRRR limb
θ˙Angular velocity of active R joint
θ˙inIntensity or angular velocity of the passive joints
φRotation angle of the steering R joint connected with the leg-end
BωAngular velocity of moving platform
δQ˙Driving velocity deviation
$A screw or a twist
$rA wrench system
$iith twist or screw
S/ijUnit screw of the jth joint in the ith limb
S/PInstantaneous twist of the moving platform
S/drdth constraint screw
S/irReciprocal screws for the ith UPRU limb
δS/PVelocity deviation of the moving platfrom

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52275004).

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