Q‐Whex: A simple and highly mobile quasi‐wheeled hexapod robot

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the design and control of Q‐Whex, an untethered, quasi‐wheeled hexapod robot. Q‐Whex has only six actuators—one motor located at each hip—achieving mechanical simplicity that promotes reliable and robust operation in real‐world tasks. All of the robot's mechanical parts are simply fabricated with carbon fiber plates, which makes the robot very easy to make. Q‐Whex is capable of performing wheeled‐like smooth rides over flat ground with a tripod gait, and thereby prevent the common problem of trunk fluctuations in legged‐wheel robots. It is also able to traverse height variations well exceeding its trunk clearance. The performance of Q‐Whex is evaluated in various scenarios, including driving and turning over flat terrains, ramp‐riding, step‐crossing, stair‐climbing, and irregular terrain‐traversing.