Colorado State University researchers at the Adaptive Robotics Lab have developed a shape-shifting, jumping robot that can expand or collapse its wheels. One advantage it has over other robots is its use of tensegrity as wheels, as the robot can reduce its width from 400 mm to 180 mm and simultaneously increase its height from 75 mm to 95 mm.
The tensegrity wheels allow the robot to climb steps with heights up to 110 mm and 150 mm with the expanded / collapsed configuration, respectively. It’s also capable of jumping onto obstacles up to 300 mm high with a bi-stable mechanism that can gradually store, yet quickly release, energy. The robot’s locomotion capability can be used either indoors or outdoors, including various natural terrains, such sand, grass, rocks, ice, and snow.
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Our results suggest that using tensegrity structures as wheels for mobile robots can enhance their capability to overcome obstacles, traverse challenging terrains, and survive falls from heights. When combined with other locomotion modes (e.g., jumping), such shape-changing robots can have broad applications for search-and-rescue after disasters or surveillance and monitoring in unstructured environments,” said the researchers.
