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Design Optimization of a Four-Bar Leg Linkage for a Legged-Wheeled Balancing Robot

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Robotics in Natural Settings (CLAWAR 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 530))

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Abstract

Balancing legged-wheeled robots have gained popularity in recent years due to their locomotive efficiency while still being able to conquer rough terrain and obstacles. Furthermore, as this type of robot maintains ground contact with its wheels for most of the time, passive gravity compensation mechanisms can greatly minimize power consumption. Various designs with different leg configurations have emerged, whereby a 1-DOF mechanism per leg already showed sufficient compliance to adapt to most outdoor terrain. We propose a design optimization procedure for a 1-DOF four-bar leg linkage to ensure minimum pitch angle correction of the robot’s base while varying the leg extension. Gravity compensation is further achieved through an optimized torsional spring. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the leg linkage and gravity compensation mechanism on real hardware.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The inverted pendulum structure includes all the bodies except the wheels.

  2. 2.

    On an Intel i7-8809G processor.

  3. 3.

    Averaged over the up and down motion to remove hysteresis effects.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Ciro Salzmann, Lionel Gulich, Alessandro Morra for their support in realizing the shown Ascento prototype, as well as all supporters of the Ascento project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ASL, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Victor Klemm, Dominik Mannhart & Roland Siegwart

  2. RSL, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Victor Klemm

Authors
  1. Victor Klemm
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  2. Dominik Mannhart
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  3. Roland Siegwart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Victor Klemm .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    José M. Cascalho

  2. School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK

    Mohammad Osman Tokhi

  3. School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Manuel F. Silva

  4. Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Armando Mendes

  5. Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (M3), Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Khaled Goher

  6. Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

    Matthias Funk

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Klemm, V., Mannhart, D., Siegwart, R. (2023). Design Optimization of a Four-Bar Leg Linkage for a Legged-Wheeled Balancing Robot. In: Cascalho, J.M., Tokhi, M.O., Silva, M.F., Mendes, A., Goher, K., Funk, M. (eds) Robotics in Natural Settings. CLAWAR 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 530. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15226-9_15

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