DEVELOPMENT OF RECONFIGURABLE WHEELED LOCOMOTOR FOR MOBILE ROBOTIC VEHICLES

R.V. Gogin
Russian State Scientific Center for Robotics and Technical Cybernetics (RTC), Design Engineer, 21, Tikhoretsky pr., Saint-Petersburg, 194064, Russia, tel.: +7(812)552-01-10, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

N.V. Zarutsky
RTC, Senior Research Scientist, Head of Department, 21, Tikhoretsky pr., Saint-Petersburg, 194064, Russia, tel.: +7(812)552-61-77, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received 15 January 2018

Abstract
Currently, the only well-developed option for planet rovers is a wheeled locomotor as the most simple and effective. The choice of specific size of the rim and tire determines rover's flotation ability and energy source explotation efficiency.
It is possible to expand the range of application of the wheel by changing of the size of the wheel's rim. Therefore, the mechanism reconfiguring principle of a wheel locomotor for planetary vehicles was developed.
This article provides an overview of the existing reconfigurable wheels, and proposes the original design. The main characteristics are briefly considered; the benefits of the reconfiguration application are shown.

Key words
Planet rover, flotation ability, reconfigurable wheel.

Bibliographic description
Gogin, R. and Zarutsky, N. (2018). Development of reconfigurable wheeled locomotor for mobile robotic vehicles. Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, 1(18), pp.69-73.

UDC identifier:
629.7.03

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