Multiple terrain traversal capabilities based mechanism dimension design for a six-legged robot using performance charts from analytical conditions

Six-legged robots possess powerful terrain traversal capabilities. To achieve small mechanism dimensions that meet these capabilities is crucial for reducing weight and size. Traditional try-and-verify design methods that repeat mechanism dimension design, simulation, and verification cannot rapidly ensure a suitable result. Optimization methods can obtain an optimal result but cannot be visualized and utilize engineers' valuable experience. This paper proposes a novel mechanism dimension design method for six-legged robots that maximize terrain traversal capabilities in four representative terrains: trenches, low spaces, obstacles, and steps. Analytical conditions are established to model the relationship between robot's mechanism dimensions and terrain parameters, which are derived from robot-terrain non-interference conditions, static stabilities, and workspace limitations. Performance charts of the terrain traversal capabilities are plotted to show visualized regions for suitable mechanism dimensions. A suitable dimension is then selected by engineers based on the charts. The resulted design is further validated through simulations and experiments on a physical prototype.