FUHAR: A transformable wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot

This paper introduces a mobile robot with a new type of transformable wheel legs that can be used for flat and rough terrain. It integrates the stability and maneuverability of a wheeled robot and the legged robot’s obstacle climbing capacity using a transformable mechanism with wheel legs. With a transformation structure based on a four-bar mechanism, these two modes can be easily changed. This paper analyzes the movements for the proposed robot in wheeled and legged mode. Dynamic modeling and design of a control system were obtained. Then, the obstacle climbing strategies under legged modes were carried out. Finally, on the basis of the simulation, a prototype of the proposed robot was designed and produced. The results from the experiments validate the efficiency of the designed hybrid mobile robot.