Study on Roller-Walker: Development of Roller-Walker II Using 3D Printed Structural Components

We developed Roller-Walker II, a leg-wheeled hybrid robot that primarily uses 3D-printed plastic as its structural material. This robot achieves both walking and wheel-based locomotion called “Roller-Walk” by rotating its ankle joints 90 degrees to switch between different foot con- figurations. The ankle switching mechanism also employs 3D- printed lead screws, realizing a compact, lightweight, and high load-bearing capacity mechanical configuration. Locomotion experiments were conducted for both walking and Roller-Walk modes, confirming that the robot can successfully propel itself in both modes without issues. Particularly in Roller-Walk mode, the robot achieved a maximum velocity of 3.43 m/s and a CoT of 0.14, placing it among the group of walking robots with the highest mobility performance when compared to other walking robots.