Design and Analysis of 8R-Folding Metamorphic Mechanism and Metamorphic Robot

After completing the design of the rigid torso structure robot, the mobility and topology of the torso are fixed. As a result, it becomes challenging to meet the requirements of robots in multiple working conditions. By applying the torso structure of the reconfigurable metamorphic mechanism, we can address the above-mentioned problems in robot designing. In this paper, based on the reconfigurable mechanism design method of motion bifurcation, the 2-URU mechanism and its derived 8R-Folding mechanism are designed. The 8R-Folding mechanism is innovatively applied to the torso design of the wheel-legged robot, and kinematic analysis, model simulation, and prototype experiments are conducted. The results show that the robot can realize two deployments/folds, and the ratio can reach 3. The waist can achieve left and right rotation and up and down pitching effects after the folding process, allowing it to adapt to a variety of working environments. The article provides a new solution for the robot to achieve one machine with multiple functions.