AURORA — Minimalist Design for Tracked Locomotion

Abstract

Much work by many researchers and developers (Schempf, 1999) (Menzel, D’Alusio, 2001) (Schraft, Schmierer, 1998) over the last century has developed a vast body of knowledge in the areas of locomotion utilizing wheels, legs, tracks, etc. for applications from research to real-world applications. This paper addresses a novel development of a steerable monotread, dubbed AURORA Advanced Urban RObot for Reconnaissance and Assessment), proving that a single continuous belt, designed with key flexure and guide elements, is capable of steerable locomotion. This is believed to be a significant departure from the theory that tracked vehicles need to have at least two treads to steer. The system was built with a flexible elastomeric monobelt with a central drive and guide spine, which, when flexed, forces the tread into a shape allowing it to steer. The system is also capable of inverted operations, stair climbing (with the help of a deployable ramp/paddle), and is easily portable due to its small size and low weight. The system is battery-driven and controlled/monitored over a wireless link, allowing it to be deployed safely into hazardous and remote areas in urban terrain. On-board cameras provide multiple side- and bird’s-eye views, with on-board computing processing and interpreting imagery. A portable control-box is used for remote control. Preliminary tests have shown the capability of the system to handle rough terrain and steer in all of the environments tested so far. Future work will extend the autonomy capabilities of the system and ruggedize the tread and drive/steer elements even further.