IMPASS: Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System

Abstract

IMPASS (Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System) is a novel mobile robot driven by two rimless spoke wheels. Each of the spokes can be individually actuated with intelligent motion planning to walk over uneven terrain with high mobility. This form of novel locomotion has the potential to combine the efficiency of a wheeled robot and the mobility of a legged robot. A highly mobile robot such as IMPASS could prove very valuable in applications where the terrain is complex and dangerous, such as search and rescue, reconnaissance, or anti-terror response. This video presents an overview of the system concept with examples and demonstrations of its unique mobility. Beginning with an overview of the system concept and hardware, the video then demonstrates the different mobility advantages. These include rough terrain locomotion, dynamic surface locomotion, and large step climbing.