Structure design of a miniature and jumping robot for search and rescue

• Main Authors: Xueying Wang, Xiaojing Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018-10-01
• Series: The Journal of Engineering
• Subjects: solid modelling; mechanical contact; shafts; gears; collision avoidance; disasters; rescue robots; design engineering; solid works; three-dimensional sketch; sleeve shaft; geometric dimensions; search missions; gear jumping mechanism; dual-tracked articulated transformable locomotion system; mobile base; earthquakes; power system motors; transmission system; obstacle capability; searching tasks; miniature robot; rescue missions; salvagers; jumping robot; structure design
• Online Access: https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/joe.2018.8952

The extremely dangerous and complex environment caused by tremendous earthquakes or unnatural disasters usually brings great danger to survivors and salvagers. Therefore, search and rescue missions after any disaster indicate a huge need in special access to reduce the loss for human beings and, at the same time, to improve the capability of performing the tasks. In terms of the miniature robots which can go into the confined zone for the searching tasks, this project focuses specially on analysing climbing obstacle capability of the miniature robots, and introduces a new concept composed of a jumping robot which is mounted on a tracked mobile base. To design, calculate, and analyse this system, an appropriate mechanism, geometric dimensions, and specific properties are detailed, which include a dual-tracked articulated transformable locomotion system, a transmission system with a sleeve shaft, an incomplete gear jumping mechanism, and the selection and calculation of power system motors. To complete the design procedure, a three-dimensional sketch of each component of the robot was generated by means of Solidworks.