TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– This paper aims to develop a wave-transmitting mechanism for a travelling-wave-type omnidirectional mobile robot. Existing omnidirectional mechanisms are prone to movement instability because they establish a small contact area with the ground. The authors have developed a novel omnidirectional mobile robot that achieves stable movement by a large ground-contact area. The proposed robot moves by a wave-transmitting mechanism designed for this purpose. Design/methodology/approach– To achieve stable movement, a spiral-type travelling-wave-propagation mechanism that mimics the locomotion mechanism of a snail was developed. The mechanism was applied to an omnidirectional mobile robot. Findings– The practicality of magnetic attraction was verified in experiments of the wave-transmitting mechanism. Moreover, omnidirectional movement was confirmed in a robot prototype adopting this mechanism. Research limitations/implications– The proposed robot will eventually be deployed in human spaces such as factories and hospitals. A mechanically improved version of the robot will be evaluated in load-driving experiments and equipped with control systems. Originality/value– This paper proposes an omnidirectional mobile robot with a large ground contact area that moves by continuous travelling waves. The practicability of this mechanism was experimentally confirmed, and a prototype robot achieved omnidirectional movement.
VL  - 42
IS  - 1
SN  - 0143-991X
DO  - 10.1108/IR-10-2014-0401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-10-2014-0401
AU  - Konno Masashi
AU  - Mizota Yutaka
AU  - Nakamura Taro
PY  - 2015
Y1  - 2015/01/01
TI  - Wave-transmitting method for a travelling-wave-type omnidirectional mobile robot
T2  - Industrial Robot: An International Journal
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 19
EP  - 24
Y2  - 2024/04/20
ER  -