TWIX(2014 - now)


RHexus

      In biology, hexapods can walk stably in complicated terrain with tripod gait, and quadrupeds (cheetah in particular) stretch and contract their waist to run faster. These ideas are implemented on the modular robot, TWIX. TWIX is a special RHex-style robot which can switch between two modes, the hexapedal mode and the quadrupedal mode. Switching can be easily achieved because of the modular design. In the study of dynamic locomotion, TWIX is operated to approach two kinds of problems:
(1) model-based hexapod and quadruped running behaviors
(2) the effect of the waist on running behaviors

      生物界中,六足動物可以三點著地的tripod步態穩定行走於複雜地形中,而四足動物(特別是獵豹)則可藉由腰部之伸展收縮,使其跑動更加快速。TWIX機器人即是利用這些生物之啟發所設計的。TWIX是一臺RHex型式之機器人,可以在六足模式與四足模式間切換,其模組化的設計使模式間的切換十分容易。 在動態運動的研究中,TWIX用以探討兩種動態問題:
(1)六足與四足以模型為基礎的跑步行為
(2)腰部對跑步行為之影響

 

  Mini-RHex (2010 - now)


RHexus

      mini- RHex is a RHex-style hexapod robot which is designed for exploring two types of locomotion problems: Rough terrain negotiability and dynamic locomotion capability. In addition to ordinary tripod walking and turning behaviors, the robot can perform several different behaviors, including (1) fully autonomous step-climbing maneuver, which enables it to reliably climb a step up to 230% higher than the length of its leg; (2) model-based running behavior, which enables it to run from 1 m/s to 2 m/s without tuning or optimization efforts; (3) fully autonomous running-to-leaping maneuver.

      mini-RHex 是以RHex為模板開發的六足機器人,設計的目的是要探討兩種機器人動態上的問題: 崎嶇地上的移動性能和動態能力。除了原先以tripod步態行走和轉彎,機器人本身還能表現出不同的行為模式,包括:(1)全自動爬樓梯,每一階可以爬到比機器人腳長2.3倍的階梯;(2)model-based下的步態,他跑動的速度可以從每秒1公尺到每秒2公尺,過程中不用任何的設定或者優化;(3)全自動往前跑然後跳躍。

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