New mobility system based on elastic energy under microgravity

Abstract

This paper proposes a new mobility system for planetary rover using springs and linear actuators. In the microgravity environment, hopping mobility is a possible choice for enhancing a new mobility of the robot. One method to hop is to press one's own to the ground. The proposed robot consists of two masses, and can press one's own to the ground using springs. So the rover can hop from the stationary state by transforming the elastic energy to the kinetic energy using the springs and linear actuators. Furthermore the robot can land without bounding by transforming the kinetic energy to the elastic energy. The simulation studies and the ground experiments shows that the proposed rover could hop and land.