Locomotion capabilities of a novel reconfigurable robot with 3 DOF active joints for rugged terrain

Reconfigurable robots consist of many modules which are able to change the way they are connected. As a result, the robots have the capability of adopting different configurations to match various tasks and suit complex environments. This paper presents a novel field robot named JLI which consists of three uniform modules. With the docking mechanisms, the modules can connect or disconnect flexibly and automatically. Furthermore the active joints formed by serial and parallel mechanisms endow the robot with the ability of changing shape in three dimensions. Consequently useful locomotion capabilities, such as crossing high vertical obstacles, getting self-recovery when the robot is upside-down are achieved. After describing the structural principle of the robot, the related kinematics analysis follows. In the end, the successful on-site tests confirm the principles described above and the robot's ability.