Configuration-Space Flipper Planning on 3D Terrain

TL;DR

This paper introduces a planning algorithm for configuring four flippers on a rescue robot to navigate complex 3D terrains without additional sensors, demonstrated through real-world experiments on various obstacles.

Contribution

The work presents a novel morphology planning algorithm for rescue robots with four flippers on 3D terrain, without relying on extra sensors, enabling effective terrain traversal.

Findings

Effective flipper manipulation enables tackling complex terrains.

Successful real robot experiments on three different obstacles.

Morphology planning improves rescue robot autonomy.

Abstract

Flippers are essential components of tracked robot locomotion systems for unstructured terrain, especially within a rescue scenario. Achieving full and semi-autonomy for such rescue robots is the goal of many research efforts. In this work, we propose an algorithm to plan the morphologies of a small rescue robot with four flippers over 3D ground without any extra sensor, such as pressure sensor. To achieve the goal, we simplify the rescue robot as a skeleton on inflated terrain. Its morphology can be represented by configurations of several parameters. Then we plan the mobile movement on 3D terrain with four individually manipulated flippers. We perform real robot experiments on three different obstacles. The results show that we move the flippers very effectively and are thus able to tackle those terrains very well.