Toroidal Origami Monotrack: Mechanism to Realize Smooth Driving and Bending for Closed-Skin-Drive Robots
Masahiro Watanabe, Yuto Kemmotsu, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Kazuki Abe, Masashi Konyo, Satoshi Tadokoro
Abstract
We propose a novel toroidal origami monotrack capable of smooth-skin driving and bending for closed-skin-drive robots. Monotracks are a promising solution for achieving high mobility in unstructured environments. Toroidal-drive mechanisms enable whole skin drive; however, conventional methods experience unexpected wrinkling and buckles that lead to a large resistance. In this study, we propose an origami bellows structure with multiple rollers that can maintain the skin tension and deal with the cause of large friction between the skin and the body. The origami structure design method is presented, and the bending angle range and required drive force were derived through a theoretical analysis. The validity of the effectiveness of the concept was verified through prototype testing.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{iros2022_toroidalorigamim,
title = {Toroidal Origami Monotrack: Mechanism to Realize Smooth Driving and Bending for Closed-Skin-Drive Robots},
author = {Masahiro Watanabe and Yuto Kemmotsu and Kenjiro Tadakuma and Kazuki Abe and Masashi Konyo and Satoshi Tadokoro},
booktitle = {IROS 2022},
year = {2022}
}