Novel Ideas for Hybrid Wheel-Leg Robots with AGRO [ICRA2020 Legged Robotics Workshop]

Poster contribution to the ICRA 2020 Workshop on Real-world Deployment of Legged Robots Abstract — We present a Hybrid Wheel-Leg Four-Wheeled Independent Drive and Steering (4WIDS) robot named AGRO and a method of controlling its orientation while airborne using wheel reaction torques. Inspired by a cat’s self-righting reflex, this capability was developed to allow emergency response personnel to rapidly deploy AGRO by throwing it over walls and fences or through windows without the risk of it landing upside down. Simple PD controllers allow for stabilization of roll, pitch, and yaw. An experiment comparing a controlled and non-controlled fall was conducted in which AGRO was dropped from a height of m with an initial roll and pitch angle of 16 degrees and -23 degrees respectively. AGRO 2 will incorporate non-pneumatic tires to dampen impacts to it