Design and development of a flipper track robot for simultaneous safe traversal on steps and multi-terrain

• Main Author: Bual, Cyrus Lawrence C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: Robots—Dynamics; Manufacturing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5914; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/12900/viewcontent/Bual_CyrusLawrence_11797193_Design_and_Development_of_a_Flipper_Track_Robot_for_Simultaneous_Safe_Traversal_on_Steps_and_Multi_Terrain__1_Edited.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The development of flipper tracked robot gains its advantage as it can traverse multi-terrain and complex obstacle such as stairs and steps. Its compact design includes a 2 or 4 degree of freedom flipper track arms to help navigate in these obstructions. In considering the safe traversal in terrains and stairs, the conventional design was susceptible to high vibrations and shocks which gradually damages the mechanical and electronic modules. With this circumstance, there is a need to develop the design of flipper track robot to improve its performance in multi-terrain and steps climbing. The concept of the study is to integrate a 2 DoF flipper track arm in the conventional passive suspension tracked robot. Additionally, the model unit which subjected to modification was the T-600 crawler robot. Subsequently, pre-assembly test is conducted to check the integrity and specifications of the robot components. Pre- assembly test consists of: (1) finite element analysis of mechanical components, (2) specification versus actual test, and (3) wireless reliability test. Successively, the post- assembly test is conducted to measure the performance of the robot in two orientation, with and without suspension, on three different experiments: (1) multi-terrain traversal, (2) ascending and descending steps traversal, and (3) synchronize robot movement. Moreover, the result of pre-assembly test analysis verifies the modified robot as functional. In preparation for post-assembly test, the MPU-6050 is calibrated and no. (3) experiment conducted first which demonstrates that the modified robot moves synchronously with a PWM reduction on left motor by 5. Then, the post-assembly test analysis utilized two-sample mean z-test to compare with suspension and without suspension in nos. (1) and (2) post-assembly experiment. Multi-terrain experiment reveals a P-Value of 0.315, ascending traversal shows a P-Value of <0.00001, also descending resulted to a P-Value of <0.00001. Statistically, for post-assembly test, there is sufficient evidence that with suspension component on flipper tracked robot improves the traversal stability for multi-terrain, and stair/steps ascending and descending traversals.