Design of a Synchro-Drive Omnidirectional Mini-Robot

Abstract

Using the synchro-drive principle, the paper presents a new omnidirectional mini-robot with conventional wheels. The synchro-drive principle is achieved applying geared mechanisms: three for steering and another three for displacement. The mini-robot uses two DC motors and three pairs of conventional wheels. The first DC motor controls the rotation of three pairs of the wheels around the horizontal axis thus generating the driving force (traction) to the mini-robot. The second motor controls the rotation of three pairs of the wheels around the vertical axis hence generating their orientation.