Design and Active Stability Control of a Wheel-foot Mobile Platform with High Trafficability

Abstract

As a critical branch of robotics, mobile platforms have seen extensive applications in industrial automation, social services, and military industry sectors in recent years. However, conventional wheeled platforms exhibit limited obstacle-crossing capability, while legged robots, despite superior terrain traversability, demand excessive power consumption for high payloads and face significant challenges in maintaining platform stability on complex terrain due to intricate control requirements and hardware complexity. This study presents a wheel-footed hybrid robot that integrates a compound wheel-foot mechanism to achieve high payload capacity, exceptional terrain adaptability, and enhanced stability, enabling adaptive embodied intelligence in complex scenarios. First, a novel mechanical architecture and hardware system for the wheel-foot module were designed and constructed. Then, focusing on high dynamic response platform stabilization control, an autonomous planning framework and active stability control system were developed, accompanied by kinematic modeling of the prototype. Finally, experimental validation was conducted on the prototype, demonstrating the ability to carry an adult weighing approximately 60 kg while maintaining platform horizontality (maximum posture errors: 1.5° on slopes, 1.2° over speed bumps, 6.1° during stair climbing), verifying the practicality of both the mechanical design and control strategy.