Mechanism design and walking analysis based on CAD dynamic model for development of six-legged mini shovel

Interior demolition work of buildings is a necessary recycling task for environmental conservation and effective usage of resources. The conventional moving method of a mini-shovel used for interior demolition work is a crawler. However, a crawler scratches road surfaces and floors; moreover, it lacks body stability when going up and down stairs. The purpose of this study is development of a novel moving method for the mini-shovel used for interior demolition work. Where, we proposed a six-legged mini-shovel for realizing this purpose. The six-legged mini-shovel was developed based on a mini-shovel SK09SR, which is a product for the interior demolition work market. The leg mechanism parameters are determined by the reachable region of the legs, which is necessary for going up and down stairs; the 3D-CAD dynamic model was made based on the leg measurements. The mechanism is designed based on constraints of maximum output of hydraulic cylinder and maximum output quantity of the hydraulic pump. In addition, the design of the control system considering characteristics of the hydraulic cylinder, and the effectiveness of the design technique of the mechanism are shown by the results of walking analysis and simulation using the 3D-CAD dynamic model.