Small Swarm Search Robot System with Rigid-Bone Parachute Rapidly Deployable from Aerial Vehicles

In this research, the authors aim to construct a system of the small swarm search robot dropped from aerial vehicles to realize the efficient wide area exploration for rapid disaster response. The authors propose a jumping mechanism using an internally balanced magnet unit and a rigid bone parachute mechanism that can prevent entanglement and move effectively on rough terrains such as rubbles or narrow spaces. For this purpose, the platform of the robot requires small dimensions and mass to transport by aerial vehicles and enter confined spaces. However, if the diameter of the wheel is reduced, the height of the step that can be overcome decreases, and the mobility performance on a rough train would also decrease. For that reason, the authors propose a mechanism that can jump over the debris and a parachute mechanism that does not get caught by the debris, the environment, and itself. In this paper, the authors first show the basic concept and requirements of the swarm search robot. Next, the basic design of the mechanical structure and electrical system are shown, and the prototype of the two-wheeled robot is fabricated as a platform. Finally, experiments using the prototypes are conducted to verify the principle of the jumping mechanism and parachute mechanism and to discuss their effectiveness.