A robust miniature robot design for land/air hybrid locomotion

Abstract

The utility of miniature ground robots has long been limited by reduced locomotion capabilities compared to larger robots. Many avenues of research have been pursued to improve ground locomotion to alleviate this issue. In this paper, another option is explored in which a small ground robot is equipped with the ability to fly, allowing it to move to previously unreachable areas if necessary. The robot design is presented with an emphasis on mechanical aspects. The design utilizes a minimalistic two-wheeled ground mode to minimize weight, and a rotary-wing flight mode, enabling transformations at will. The transition between modes requires a transformation wherein the robot tips itself on-end and unfolds rotors or vise versa. The design presented herein is an improvement upon previous designs using the same concept; it is more robust in both its transformation process and locomotion capabilities [1], [2]. In addition to a new robot design, two new principles for the design of such robot are proposed: protection of flight mode components and isolation of the two modes' drivetrains.