A Reconfigurable Rocker-Bogie Robot for High Step Climbing and Turning

Abstract:This study proposes a reconfigurable rocker-bogie mechanism that achieves efficient turning motion with a small number of actuators while maintaining high step-climbing capability. By installing motors at the bogie joints and actively swinging up and down bogies, the system enables switching between four-wheel and six-wheel configurations. Omnidirectional wheels are mounted on the rear ends of the rockers, allowing smooth turning in the four-wheel configuration based on a differential-drive model. Experimental evaluation using a prototype robot demonstrated that the proposed mechanism achieves zero-radius turning at a speed more than five times that of a conventional rocker-bogie mechanism equipped with six non-steerable grip wheels, while requiring only approximately 17% of the total average wheel torque. In addition, the robot successfully climbed a 40 cm step with an average climbing time of 6.4 s, confirming its high turning and step-climbing performance.

Robotics (cs.RO)

arXiv:2607.01554 [cs.RO]

(or arXiv:2607.01554v2 [cs.RO] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.01554 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

https://doi.org/10.1109/AIM65483.2026.11658045 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources

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