1A2-I08 Mobility Improvement of Rescue Robot with Passive Mechanism(Search and Rescue Robot and mechatronics)

Abstract

Passive mechanism, which runs through uneven terrain and steps with a simple operation, can make it possible to simplify its operation procedure. This study examines the running ability of Rescue Robot BLUE-R2 using passive mechanism. BLUE-R2 cannot climb stairs without a crawler unit operation by the operation driver. In order to improve this mobility, we placed center of gravity to the front part of robot by inversing a back crawler unit. This change made it possible for the robot to climb stairs. Moreover, we have found that the robot climbed stairs more efficiently by installing a elastic between the crawlers and making them follow each other. These results indicate that the position of center of gravity and the movement between crawlers are crucial factors to mobility improvement of a rescue robot with passive mechanism.