The mechanical design and construction of a mobile outdoor multi-terrain robot

Abstract

This paper describes the design and construction of a low-cost caterpillar-track robot intended for outdoor use in a variety of irregular terrains. Many components for such a mechatron cannot be commercially sourced and so were custom manufactured. The resulting vehicle can carry a payload of 100 kg, can operate for a period of at least 1 h and is reasonably immune to variations in weather or ground conditions. The robot is equipped with sufficient processing power and sensors to become capable eventually of autonomously completing assigned tasks.