5 accepted papers
Accurate dynamic modeling of soft-shelled spherical robots is challenging due to coupled rigid–soft body interactions and pressure-dependent contact behavior. This letter presents a modeling strategy for an empirically tuned pendulum-driven inflatable spherical robot. The approach combines a rigid-b…
Exploration of extraterrestrial surfaces, such as the lunar surface, can prove treacherous for humans and robots alike, and requires highly specialized mobility platforms to ensure the success of a mission and the safety of any operators. However, these specialized machines may limit the overall sco…
Executing banked turns at elevated speeds poses significant dynamic challenges for 2-DOF pendulum-driven spherical robots. A steady-state torque balance reveals that centripetal loading at high speeds limits feasible roll angles and demands increasingly aggressive pendulum actuation. We derive a clo…
Replacing spherical robots' hard shells with soft, pressurized tires has the potential to improve their off-road practicality immensely. This change leverages spherical robots as a simple and rugged solution to problems currently addressed using wheeled or tracked vehicles. Though numerous prototype
Spherical robots are a different type of mobility platform. A spherical robot is self-contained within its shell rather than relying on a chassis with wheels to navigate. In this shell, it is completely shielded from dust and the environment. This benefit of geometric simplicity has led to the spher…