A biologically inspired hybrid three legged mobile robot

This paper describes the development of a biologically inspired mobile robot. The locomotion mechanism is a hybrid combination of legged locomotion supported by wheels for stability purposes. The mechanism design, the applied electronic circuit design and the behavior-based controller for navigation and reactive response to stimuli of the robot´s environment are described. The locomotion mechanism of the mobile robot consists of a set of wheels and legs with crab-like features. Static and dynamic stability is provided by the set of wheels, while locomotion is mainly dependent on the three legs. The mechatronic modules of the mobile robot consist of the integration of micro-controller, motors and sensors. Each leg is powered by independently controlled actuators. Sensors placed at each of the legs provide the posture information. At the sides, front and rear of the robot´s body, proximity sensors are arranged in an array to give information about the environment to the controller. The behavior of the hybrid three legged mobile robot is coordinated by the subsumption architecture implemented and it can be modified incrementally as the need arises. The navigation behavior of the mobile robot is emphasized with the behavior-based controller. It is expected that the robot will be able to traverse different terrain.