Research On Revolute Pairs Driven Polyhedral Mobile Linkages

As the deeper research into the on earth and planet exploration, designing novel mobile robots with higher motion performances becomes a leading research area. Traditional mobile robots includes wheeled robot, legged robot, tracks and so on, each with the limitations in explorations caused by their structural properties. Right now, planet exploration robots are mainly designed as the wheeled robots, of which the repositioning performances are usually bad when overturned. To design polyhedral mobile mechanisms by researching polyhedrons is the goal of this thesis.First of all, based on a design thought of polyhedrons, a trigonal bipyramid mechanism was researched. The mechanisms are driven by revolute motions, which are easier in techniques and could realize relatively abundant gestures and gaits, and make extension and combination as a worm possible. Besides, the extended style linkages could reduce the storage space in the planet explorers in transportation. A controlling method was given on the mobile path of the mechanism. The software simulations were carried out and a prototype was manufactured. The results showed that the mobile mechanism and the controlling method were feasible.Second, a kind of triangular prism mechanism was designed, formed with three planar mechanisms, building a relationship between designing planar and spatial mechanisms. The triangular prism mechanism could realize moving and turning functions by changing the shape of each planar mechanism.Finally, the configurations of a series of spatial linkages based on tetrahedron were designed and analyzed. The motion gaits of the 16 bar linkages with all revolute pairs are simulated and realized motion function. The mechanisms with revolute pairs and universal joints were researched and the URU chain mechanism was considered with good motion properties. A general motion gaits for tetrahedral mechanisms were designed. A structural design of the URU chain mechanism was carried out.The researches of polyhedral mobile mechanisms provided theoretical and designing foundations in this area.