2DxoPod - A Modular Robot for Mimicking Locomotion in Vertebrates

The domain of robotics is successfully automating majority of terrestrial applications with significant breakthroughs in research involving wheeled robots. Robots equipped with biomimetic capabilities can aid effectively in many scenarios where conventional infrastructure such as roads, flat terrains and wheeled robots are not available. 2DxoPod is a modular robot developed with the aim improve the mobility in robots in challenging scenarios by taking advantage of its features tuned to enhance biomimetic capabilities. A novel joint mechanism present at the center of the robotic design is capable of mimicking movements in vertebrates and providing two degrees of freedom that are orthogonal and coincident to each other. The paper describes characteristics of the 2DxoPod module and it’s advantages with respect to modular robots developed in the field of robotics. Simulations are performed on navigation capabilities of the snake and quadruped robotic coordinated structures assembled using 2DxoPod robotic modules using centralized pattern generator and the results of the same are also provided in the paper.