Step Climbing Strategy Using Two Wheelchair Robots Connected by a Semi-passive Link

摘要

This paper describes a new cooperative strategy for two wheelchairs to climb a step. These two wheelchair robots are connected with a simple linkage mechanism between the rear of one wheelchair and the front of another. Two wheelchair robots climb a step one after the other. In this research, we did not use a method by which a robot lifts up and supports its weight using any special actuator but a method of handling the robot's moment of rotation by the force of the link which come from the assisting robot. This method is especially influenced by the height of the two robot's link positions. So we study this method from the viewpoint of changing the two-link positions. We perform a numerical calculation to clarify the combination of the two robot's link positions from the two fixed points which enable them to climb (or descend) a step and is stable at the same time. We conclude from the result of the simulation that it is necessary to change the link position to climb and descend a step safely. We ascertain the effectiveness of this method by means of experiments using the robot system.