The Development of an Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Based on Hub Motor

To enable the ability of moving in a narrow space, the robots are required to move in all directions. However, traditional robots with omnidirectional mobile function are easily wearing, with poor bearing capacity, and with complex structure. We designed and proposed an omnidirectional mobile robot (OMR) with the active split offset caster (ASoC) wheelset as the driving wheelset. Specifically, we first established the mathematical model of the robot based on the differential drive principle. Then the mathematical model is verified with synchronized real and simulated movement of the designed robot. A motion capture system is used to track the actual motion trajectory. Finally, a road test experiment is applied to test the stability of the designed robot in a real environment. The tiny differences between real and simulated trajectory show that the designed robot has the ability to move omnidirectionally in a narrow space. The road test experiment proves the advanced adaptability in real environment. Therefore, the designed robot can assist in a narrow space.