Switchblade: An agile treaded rover

A versatile unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) should be able to traverse rough terrain while retaining a small form factor for navigating confined spaces. Such a (patent pending) vehicle, dubbed Switchblade, is developed in the present work via an effective combination of a novel transforming mechanical design, capable onboard electronics, and advanced feedback control algorithms. A single chassis holds the actuators, sensors, electronics, and battery. Shafts protruding from either side of this chassis connect to tread assemblies. Rotation of this shaft causes the treads to advance for translational movement; rotation about this shaft causes the entire tread assembly to rotate with respect to the chassis. Vehicle orientation is estimated via onboard filtering of optical encoders and MEMS accelerometers and gyros. In its horizontal configuration, Switchblade operates as a differential-drive treaded platform. In its various upright configurations, Switchblade operates as a mobile inverted pendulum, capable of surmounting obstacles, including stairs, that would otherwise be impassable by a vehicle of its size. Design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA) techniques are employed to reduce cost, part count, complexity, and assembly time without sacrificing system capabilities. Results from a working prototype are discussed. The resulting platform is well suited for a variety of socially-relevant applications, including reconnaissance, mine exploration, and search & rescue.