In this paper, we propose a novel design of a hybrid mobile robot with controllable stiffness and deformable shape. Compared to conventional mobile agents, our system can switch between rigid and compliant phases by solidifying or melting Field's metal in its structure and, thus, alter its shape through the motion of its active components. In the soft state, the robot's main body can bend into circular arcs, which enables it to conform to surrounding curved objects. This variable geometry of the robot creates new motion modes which cannot be described by standard (i.e., fixed geometry) models. To this end, we develop a unified mathematical model that captures the differential kinematics of both rigid and soft states. An optimised control strategy is further proposed to select the most appropriate phase states and motion modes needed to reach a target pose-shape configuration. The performance of our new method is validated with numerical simulations and experiments conducted on a prototype system. The simulation source code is available at https://github.com/Louashka/2sr-agent-simulation.git}{GitHub repository.
翻译:在本文中, 我们提出一个新型的混合移动机器人的新设计, 具有可控性硬度和可变形状。 与常规移动剂相比, 我们的系统可以在其结构结构中固化或熔化Field的金属, 从而改变其形状。 在软体状态下, 机器人的主体可以弯成圆弧形, 使其能够与周围弯曲的物体相一致。 机器人的这种可变几何方法创造了新的运动模式, 无法用标准( 固定几何) 模型描述。 为此, 我们开发了一个统一的数学模型, 捕捉硬体和软体状态的不同运动动力学。 进一步提出了优化的控制战略, 选择最合适的阶段状态和运动模式, 以达到目标的组合配置。 我们的新方法的性能通过数字模拟和对原型系统进行的实验得到验证。 模拟源代码可在 https://githuub. com/ Louashka/2sr- agent- immulation.gib* 。