OSCaR: An Origami-Inspired Shape-Changing Robot for Ground Coverage Tasks

This paper introduces a novel origami-inspired shape-changing robot OSCaR. The objective is to enhance the adaptability of vehicles engaged in ground coverage tasks, such as floor cleaning. The robot exhibits two distinct configurations: it can fold itself for agile navigation through tight spaces, and unfold to cover larger areas efficiently. The folding pattern has a deploy-to-stow ratio of 3 in the width dimension, and a kinematic model is established to simulate the deployment process for the pattern. The hinge design employs rolling contact elements to mitigate collision among the panels, particularly in regions with multiple colinear crease lines. Furthermore, the design exhibits one degree of freedom and features pivots, making it easy to actuate with motors. The system design of the prototype is also presented, including its structure, an embedded hardware system, and upper computer software. The results show that the robot has great adaptability in complex environments.