Design and analysis of planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1006-754X.2025.04.148

Chinese Journal of Engineering Design

2025, Vol. 32

Issue (4): 474-487 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1006-754X.2025.04.148

Robotic and Mechanism Design

Design and analysis of planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism

Na ZHANG¹(

),Zhiyuan XUN²,Yan'an YAO³(

)

^1.School of Aeronautical Engineering, Beijing Polytechnic University, Beijing 100176, China
^2.College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
^3.School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China

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Abstract

To enhance the obstacle-crossing ability and environmental adaptability of conventional tracked mobile mechanisms, a planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism is proposed, which is composed of a tracked driving wheel train and a planetary gear train, and has three motion modes: straight arm mode, orthogonal mode and transition mode. This tracked mobile mechanism adopts underactuated pattern, and realizes rapid obstacle-crossing response based on the least energy consumption principle. Firstly, the kinematics analysis was conducted on the tracked mobile mechanism. The relationships among center-of-mass height, ground contact area and track deformation under three motion modes were obtained, and its applicable environment was analyzed. Then, a dynamics theoretical model of the tracked mobile mechanism was established, and its maximum trench-crossing width and maximum protrusion-surmounting height were calculated. Meanwhile, the relationship between the deformation of the tracked mobile mechanism and the driving torque required for obstacle crossing was analyzed. Next, based on the dynamics simulation model of the tracked mobile mechanism, the obstacle-crossing simulation analysis was carried out, and the obstacle-crossing simulation process and the driving torque variation curve were obtained. Finally, a principal prototype of the tracked mobile mechanism was built and relevant experiments were carried out to verify the feasibility of its structural design. The results show that the designed planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism can achieve the functions of rapid obstacle-crossing and adaptation to complex terrains by controlling its own deformation, significantly improving the obstacle-crossing ability and environmental adaptability of the tracked mobile mechanisms.

Key words： tracked mobile mechanism underactuated track deformation least energy consumption principle

Received: 11 June 2024 Published: 01 September 2025

CLC:

TH 112

Corresponding Authors: Yan'an YAO E-mail: znizn@sina.com;yayao@bjtu.edu.cn

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Cite this article:

Na ZHANG,Zhiyuan XUN,Yan'an YAO. Design and analysis of planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism. Chinese Journal of Engineering Design, 2025, 32(4): 474-487.

URL:

https://www.zjujournals.com/gcsjxb/10.3785/j.issn.1006-754X.2025.04.148 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/gcsjxb/Y2025/V32/I4/474

行星式欠驱动可变形履带移动机构的设计与分析

为提高传统履带移动机构的越障能力和环境适应能力，提出了一种行星式欠驱动可变形履带移动机构，其由履带驱动轮系和行星轮系构成，具有直臂模式、正交模式和过渡模式三种运动模式。该履带移动机构采用欠驱动方式，根据最小耗能原理实现快速响应的越障功能。首先，对履带移动机构进行运动学分析，得到了3种运动模式下履带移动机构的质心高度、接地面积与履带变形的关系，并分析了其适用环境。然后，建立了履带移动机构的动力学理论模型并计算了其可跨越的最大沟槽宽度和可翻越的最大凸台高度，同时分析了履带移动机构变形与越障所需驱动扭矩之间的关系。接着，基于履带移动机构的动力学仿真模型开展越障仿真分析，得到了其越障仿真过程及驱动扭矩变化曲线。最后，搭建了履带移动机构的原理样机并开展了相关实验，验证了其结构设计的可行性。结果表明，所设计的行星式欠驱动可变形履带移动机构可通过控制自身变形实现快速越障和适应复杂地形的功能，显著提高了履带移动机构的越障能力和环境适应能力。

关键词： 履带移动机构, 欠驱动, 履带变形, 最小耗能原理

Fig.1 Planetary tracked vehicle model

Fig.2 Configuration of planetary underactuated transformable tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.3 Schematic diagram of motion modes of tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.4 Structural diagram of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism

Table 1 Dimensional parameters and example values of tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.5 Structural diagram of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.6 Structural diagram of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.7 Relationship between center-of-mass height and ground contact area and planetary rod rotation angle for tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.8 Force diagram of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.9 Schematic of trench crossing process of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.10 Schematic of protrusion surmounting process of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.11 Schematic of trench crossing process of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.12 Schematic of protrusion surmounting process of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism

参数名称	参数符号	算例值
电机输出扭矩/(N·m)	M
履带移动机构翻转扭矩/(N·m)	M'
单个履带移动机构承受的重力/N	G	75
车体前后轴距/mm	l₁	292
凸台高度/mm	H
沟槽宽度/mm	L
行星轮传动比	i	0.636
车体对履带移动机构的推力/N	F_j (j=1, 2, 3)
履带与地面和障碍物的摩擦系数	μ₁、μ₂	0.7
行星轮B处履带受地面的支持力/N	N_j
从动轮C处履带受地面的支持力/N	N_j ′
履带受障碍物的支持力/N	N_j ″
行星轮D处履带受障碍物的支持力/N	N_j ′″
履带受地面的摩擦力/N	R_j ′
履带受障碍物的摩擦力/N	R_j ″、R_j ′″
履带对地面的牵引力/N	F_f_j ′
履带对障碍物的牵引力/N	F_f_j ″、F_f_j ′″
履带模块的转动惯量/(kg·m²)	J
侧板夹角（侧板与地面夹角）/(°)	$λ$
行星杆夹角（行星杆与水平面夹角）/(°)	λ′
N_j ′与水平面夹角/(°)	φ
N_j ′″与水平面夹角/(°)	τ

Table 2 Kinematic parameters and example values of tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.13 Force analysis of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism during crossing trench

Fig.14 Relationship between required driving torque and side blate angle of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism during crossing trench

Fig.15 Force analysis of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism during the first stage of surmounting protrusion

Fig.16 Relationship between required driving torque and side blate angle of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism during the first stage of surmounting protrusion

Fig.17 Force analysis of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism during the second stage of surmounting protrusion

Fig.18 Relationship between required driving torque and planetary rod angle of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism during the second stage of surmounting protrusion

Fig.19 Analysis diagram of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism during crossing trench

Fig.20 Analysis diagram of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism during surmounting protrusion

Fig.21 Relationship between obstacle-crossing width/height and planetary rod rotation angle of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism

Fig.22 Simulation process of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism crossing trench

Fig.23 Driving torque of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism during crossing trench

Fig.24 Simulation process of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism surmounting protrusion

Fig.25 Driving torque of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism during surmounting protrusion

Fig.26 Simulation process of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism crossing trench

Fig.27 Simulation process of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism surmounting protrusion

Fig.28 Driving torque of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism during crossing obstacles

Fig.29 Experiment of straight-arm mode tracked mobile mechanism crossing trench

Fig.30 Experiment of orthogonal mode tracked mobile mechanism surmounting protrusion

Fig.31 Experiment of transition mode tracked mobile mechanism surmounting protrusion


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