Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Development of Flexible Mono-Tread Mobile Track Using Rotational Joints

  • Published:
Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Robot technology is expected to become applicable to missions on rough terrain, such as search and rescue activities, planetary exploration, and environmental investigations. The robots in such environments need high mobility against extremely rough terrain. Tracked vehicles are effective against rough terrain because the contact pressure of the vehicle can be distributed more widely. However, it is difficult for a typical tracked vehicle composed of a pair of tracks to significantly change its length/width ratio from 1:1 because of its turning property. To improve mobility, serpentine tracked robots are designed to move on rough terrain. We proposed a flexible mono-tread mobile track (FMT). An FMT is a mono-track system, and its body has a vertebral structure composed of rigid segments (called vertebrae) connected by flexible segments (called intervertebral disks). An FMT can flex more widely in three dimensions, thereby turning and climbing over obstacles. This feature is an advantage over previous mono-track systems. Prototypes of FMTs called RT02-WORMY and RT03-LIPAN have been developed and validated the system’s mobility. The body of an FMT, except for both sidewalls, is completely surrounded by only a track belt. However, the prototypes have a problem with interference and derailing in the track belt that is caused by flexion and the surface profile of the ground. The objective of this study, therefore, is to develop a new prototype of an FMT called RT04-NAGA. NAGA adopts a combination of one-degree-of-freedom (DoF) rotational joints instead of flexible components and an accurately designed guide rail system to prevent the belt from interfering with operation or derailing. To validate the performance of the prototype, we conducted the fundamental tests of the prototype, such as energy consumption; mobility with a ditch, a vertical wall, a stairway and a spiral stairway; and the standard tests following the regulations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arai, M., Tanaka, Y., Hirose, S., Kuwahara, H., Tsukui, S.: Development of “Souryu-IV” and “Souryu-V:” Serially connected crawler vehicles for in-rubble searching operations. J. Field Robot. 25 (1), 31–65 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Raytheon: Multi-Dimensional Mobility Robot (MDMR), www.raytheon.com

  3. Takayama, T., Hirose, S.: Development of “Soryu I & II”: -Connected Crawler Vehicle for Inspection of Narrow and Winding Space-. J. Robot. Mechatoron. 15(1), 61–69 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Arai, M., Takayama, T., Hirose, S.: Development of “Souryu-III”:Connected Crawler Vehicle for Inspection inside Narrow and Winding Spaces. In: Proceedings of 2004 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp 52–57 (2004)

  5. Arai, M., Tanaka, Y., Hirose, S., Kuwahara, H., Tsukui, S.: Development of “Souryu-IV” and “Souryu-V:” Serially connected crawler vehicles for in-rubble searching operations. J. Field Robot. 25 (1), 31–65 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kamegawa, T., Matsuno, F.: Development of a remote-controlled double headed snake-like rescue robot KOHGA. J. Robot. Soc. Jpn. 25(7), 52–59 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Osuka, K., Kitajima, H.: Development of Mobile Inspection Robot for Rescue Activities: MOIRA. In: Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp 3373–3377 (2003)

  8. Borenstein, J., Hansen, M.: OmniTread OT-4 Serpentine Robot: new Features and Experiments, SPIE Defense and Security Conference, Unmanned Systems Technology IX (2007)

  9. Best, H.E.: Single Track crawler vehicle United States patent no. 3548962 (1970)

  10. Ames, V.H.: Steering, Driving and single track support systems for vehicles United States patent no. 3565198 (1971)

  11. Stancy, Jr, J.C.: Terrain vehicle having a single, laterally bendable track United States patent no. 4453611 (1980)

  12. Iwatsuka, N., Sadakane, K.: Flexible Mobile Robot, Japan Patent, No. 60-80573

  13. Fukuda, T., Nishibori, K., Matsuura, H., Arai, F., Sakai, S., Kanasige, M.: A study on wall surface mobile robots : 2nd Report. Trans. Jpn. Soc. Mech. Eng. C 60(569), 211–217 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Schempf, H. In: Jarvis, R.A., Zemlinsky, A. (eds.) : Less is More: AURORA - an example of minimalist design for tracked locomotion, Robotics Research, pp 453?-465. Springer Verlag Berlin (2003)

  15. Kinugasa, T., Otani, Y., Haji, T., Yoshida, K., Osuka, K., Amano, H.: A proposal of flexible mono-tread mobile track. In: Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp 1642–1647 (2008)

  16. Movies for NAGA: http://www.mech.ous.ac.jp/robotics/index_RT04_NAGA.html (available on 16th Nov. 2015)

  17. NIST: Standard Test Methods For Response Robots, ASTM International Standards Committee on Homeland Security Applications; Operational Equipmentl Robots (E54.08.01)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Tetsuya Kinugasa

  2. Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Tetsuya Kinugasa

  3. National Institute of Technology, Matsue College, 14-4 Nishiikuma-cho, Matsue, Shimane, 690-8518, Japan

    Takafumi Haji

  4. Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Koji Yoshida

  5. National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster, 4-35-3 Jindaiji-Higashi-Machi, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-0012, Japan

    Hisanori Amano

  6. Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Ryota Hayashi

  7. Wakayama University, 930 Sakaedani, Wakayama, 640-8510, Japan

    Kenichi Tokuda

  8. Osaka Electro-Communication University, 18-8 Hatsu-cho, Neyagawa, Osaka, 572-8530, Japan

    Masatsugu Iribe

Authors
  1. Tetsuya Kinugasa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takafumi Haji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Koji Yoshida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hisanori Amano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ryota Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kenichi Tokuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Masatsugu Iribe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tetsuya Kinugasa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kinugasa, T., Haji, T., Yoshida, K. et al. Development of Flexible Mono-Tread Mobile Track Using Rotational Joints. J Intell Robot Syst 85, 229–244 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-016-0374-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-016-0374-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation