Inspired by wheeled battle droids. star Wars, a scientist has created a robot that rolls along a single large wheel that it steers using extendable legs. But instead of crushing the Rebel Alliance, this The nimble descendants of bots may one day make deliveries.
The small-scale prototype robot is known as Ringbot and was designed by Assoc. Professor Joohyung Kim and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kim was inspired not only by Star Wars, but also by the various full-size monowheels created over the years.
Simply put, a monowheel is a vehicle in which the rider sits on a powered platform mounted on ring-shaped rails. inside One big wheel. As the wheels roll around the platform, the platform remains level with the ground and the vehicle moves forward.
In fact, Mr. Kim also Inspired by “wheeled” robots such as ANYmal from ETH Zurich. ANYmal has motorized wheels at the ends of its four legs. On smooth surfaces, the wheels move the robot quickly and efficiently, like a car. However, on uneven terrain, the wheels lock to act as feet while the robot walks.
![Some examples of Ringbot features](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/a3a8594/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1680x1158+0+0/resize/1393x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6b%2F5a%2F62ba235e4c41b18250fb2259cf2a%2Fscreenshot-2024-03-28-at-1.05.52%E2%80%AFPM.jpeg)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Ringbot incorporates 515mm diameter wheels made up of nylon/carbon composite rims covered with sturdy elastomer tires. Inside the rim (bottom) are two electric drive modules placed side by side.
These modules are connected to each other via elastic, curly straps and engage with the rim surface via their own small gear wheels. Each module also has articulated robotic legs on the top that can be extended to the side pointing up or down.
When the module rotates the gear, Ringbot's wheels will rotate around the module. It is described as being like two hamsters running on an exercise wheel.
The robots automatically adjust the distance between each other to change the robot's lateral center of mass as needed to maintain balance while moving at different speeds. When it's time to turn left or right, one of the modules extends its legs outward, shifting the bot's balance to that side.
Additional legs can also be placed on the ground to anchor the Ringbot when stopped and allow it to rotate in place before resuming movement. It also prevents falls if a motorcycle rider loses balance, such as when he or she steps on the road. The legs can also set the robot back upright if it's lying flat on the ground on one side.
![Ringbot lowers its legs when standing.](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/f34dfd4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/748x499+0+0/resize/748x499!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9a%2F71%2Fda3ce8de4ea48aa8349eb6c2105c%2Fscreenshot-2024-03-28-at-11.47.54%E2%80%AFAM.jpeg)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
In indoor tests conducted so far, Ringbot has reached a top speed of 5 km/h (3 mph) when remotely controlled by a human operator.
But in the future, much faster and larger successors to the bot could leverage cameras, sensors and GPS to autonomously weave through traffic on crowded city streets to deliver goods to businesses or individuals. In that version yes Thanks to their wheeled legs, they can walk like an animal when climbing stairs or passing obstacles.
“In large cities, many bicycles and motorcycles weave through traffic to meet delivery needs, thanks to their ability to maneuver through tight spaces,” said Kim. “We plan to enhance Ringbot’s capabilities for last-mile delivery, especially in congested environments, with the goal of automating and optimizing the delivery process.”
You can see Ringbot in action in the video below. A research paper partially supported by Hyundai Motor Group was recently published in a journal. IEEE Transactions on Robotics.
Ringbot: Monocycle robot with legs
Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign