Research/ PLANETARY ROBOTICS
ReachBot: A Small Robot with Exceptional Reach for Rough Terrain
Tony G. Chen, Becky Miller, Crystal Winston, Stephanie Schneider, Andrew Bylard, Marco Pavone, Mark R. Cutkosky
Surface Mobility & TerramechanicsOpenAlex topic: Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics · Manipulation & GraspingOpenAlex keyword: grasp force · Design, Mechanisms & HardwareOpenAlex topic: Soft Robotics and Applications
OpenAlexSoil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics · Soft Robotics and Applications · Robotic Mechanisms and Dynamics
ReachBot is a new concept for planetary exploration, consisting of a small body and long, lightweight extending arms loaded primarily in tension. The arms are equipped with spined grippers for anchoring on rock surfaces. The design and testing of a planar prototype is presented here. Experiments with rock grasping and coordinated locomotion illustrate the advantages of low inertia passive grippers, triggered by impact and using stored mechanical energy for the internal force. Gripper design involves a trade-off among the range of possible grasp angles, maximum grasp force, required triggering force, and required reset force. The current prototype can pull with up to 8N when gripping volcanic rock, limited only by the strength of the 3D printed components. Calculations predict a maximum pull of 26N for the same spines and stronger materials.