Omni Differential Drive for Simultaneous Reconfiguration and Omnidirectional Mobility of Wheeled Robots

TL;DR

This paper introduces the Omni Differential Drive (ODD), a novel wheel drive system that allows wheeled robots to reconfigure their footprint and move omnidirectionally without extra actuators, enhancing adaptability.

Contribution

The paper presents the ODD model that uses lateral differential drive for reconfiguration and omnidirectional mobility, validated through prototype development and experiments.

Findings

Validated the feasibility of ODD mechanism

Demonstrated effective control strategies for balancing and motion

Enhanced robot mobility and adaptability

Abstract

Wheeled robots are highly efficient in human living environments. However, conventional wheeled designs, limited by degrees of freedom, struggle to meet varying footprint needs and achieve omnidirectional mobility. This paper proposes a novel robot drive model inspired by human movements, termed as the Omni Differential Drive (ODD). The ODD model innovatively utilizes a lateral differential drive to adjust wheel spacing without adding additional actuators to the existing omnidirectional drive. This approach enables wheeled robots to achieve both simultaneous reconfiguration and omnidirectional mobility. Additionally, a prototype was developed to validate the ODD, followed by kinematic analysis. Control systems for self-balancing and motion were designed and implemented. Experimental validations confirmed the feasibility of the ODD mechanism and the effectiveness of the control strategies. The results underline the potential of this innovative drive system to enhance the mobility and adaptability of robotic platforms.