Underactuated Multimodal Jumping Robot for Extraterrestrial Exploration
Neil R. Wagner, Justin K. Yim
AI summary
Problem
Conventional planetary rovers struggle with rough, granular terrain and large fissures on low-gravity bodies like Enceladus, while existing jumping robots lack precise landing control or require excessive actuators and power.
Approach
The robot uses two canted reaction wheels that double as differential drive wheels for rolling and as actuators for 3D balancing and in-flight reorientation, managed by switching between simple ground and aerial controllers.
Key results
- Demonstrated stable 3D balancing and self-righting with only two reaction wheels
- Achieved targeted jumping with in-flight leg reorientation for precise landing
- Validated disturbance rejection of 0.01 Nms impulses during balancing
- Successfully combined rolling, jumping, and landing in a single continuous maneuver sequence
Why it matters
This low-complexity, low-power multimodal platform offers a viable solution for navigating the extreme, unknown terrains of icy moons and asteroids where traditional rovers fail.
Abstract
We present a rolling and jumping underactuated monopedal robot designed to explore multimodal locomotion on low-gravity bodies. It uses only two reaction wheels to control its spatial orientation with two controllers: a balancing controller which can aim the robot’s jump direction on the ground, and an aerial reorientation controller which can aim the robot’s leg for landing after flight. We demonstrate rolling, targeted jumping and landing, and self-righting using only three actuators total, keeping system size to 0.33 m and 1.25 kg. Simple switching between locomotion modes enables the system to deal with differing landscapes and environmental conditions.