Study of machine design for a transformable shape single-tracked vehicle system

A crawler wheel system equipped with an asymmetric variable shape single-track has been introduced for a tracked vehicle. Because the surrounding track length is changeable, previous research has not studied the asymmetric tracked wheel structure. Developing this asymmetric single-tracked wheel system requires analysis of the design elements, especially the variable configuration elements based on the length and rotation of the frame and the kinematical tension elements. The design objectives of an outdoor mobile robot wheel system require development of a driving mechanism that can handle rugged terrain. Utilization of a variety of shapes provides enhanced capability to surmount stair-like obstacles. In this paper, we analyzed the design parameters required to create variable track shapes and determined the specifications of the track system.