Mobile Exploration Robot with Hybrid Locomotion System

The authors of this paper present an innovation in mobile robot modelling utilising a hybrid locomotion technology. The advantages of both wheeled and walking mobility are combined in the proposed locomotion system. The four-bar mechanism of the robot leg allows for improved stability and stiffness of the entire locomotion system without obstructing any of the three modes of mobility—on wheels, with legs, or combined. The paper describes the conceptual model, the structural scheme of the robot and analyses the possibilities of locomotion using wheels and legs.