Anisotropic-Stiffness Belt in Mono wheeled Flexible Track for Rough Terrain Locomotion

Rescue robots that search around on debris during natural disasters require high mobility to overcome various shaped materials scattered in the environment. Our previous study developed a new tracked mechanism called Mono-wheel Track, an elastic track driven by a single wheel, having a high capability to get over obstacles. In designing the MW - Track, the track stiffness is an essential factor-the flexible track can adapt to the geometry of the obstacles, but the flexibility prevents grousers from anchoring to the environment steadily. If the track has different localized stiffnesses, both the adaptability and the stability might be archived. In this study, we developed an “anisotropic-stiffness track,” exhibiting different stiffness depending on the bending side, and investigated its deformation characteristics and the effects on mobility. The basic deformation characteristics of the track were confirmed by load tests. The effects on mobility were evaluated by step-climbing tests, ditch-crossing tests, and traction measuring with a mobile robot.