KisBot III: New Spherical Robot with Wind-Driven Driving Mechanism

This paper introduces a novel spherical robot, KisBot III, with a newly designed wind-driven driving mechanism. The ducted fan for wind propulsion of the robot is installed at the center of the sphere, and according to the direction of the fan, the robot is able to move forwards or backwards. The outer shell is an open framework of spring carbon rods, and also includes two arms that can be folded-out to make the robot stop and partially deform its shape. Plus, for turning and balance control, a pendulum is located under the ducted-fan frame. By adopting wind as the driving mechanism, the robot has enough propulsion to drive over flat and uneven terrain, and negotiate a raised curb and slope. Experiments verify the driving motions and efficiency of the proposed spherical robot.