Marie Donlon | March 30, 2024
A tri-pedal skating robot capable of moving around without flipping over has been developed by researchers at the University of Michigan.
Dubbed SKOOTR, the tri-pedal skating robot is, according to its developers, more stable than similar three-legged robots, which are often unstable due to the absence of a fourth leg for balance.
Source: University of Michigan
To enable SKOOTR to maneuver like a ball bot with the stability of four-legged bot, the team employed a radially symmetric configuration — similar to a sea-star or spider web — that would simultaneously let the robot easily change direction, while also discovering new forms of locomotion resulting from pushing and rolling motions.
According to its developers, SKOOTR features a sphere located in the middle of three robotic legs. At the top of the passively rotating sphere is a central hub where all of the electronics that support the robot’s functioning are contained. Further, each of the robot’s three legs, which each feature two joints that govern their flexion and extension, sprout from the sphere.
“We use a servo to switch between a passively rolling caster or a grippy rubber foot,” the researchers explained. “The rubber foot provides friction so that it can use a leg to push against the ground, while the rolling caster allows other legs to maintain their position while rolling along. The central sphere can easily pop out and be replaced for different purposes.”
Additionally, the SKOOTR robot is reportedly customizable, with researchers suggesting that its sphere can be replaced according to use case. The team explained that one such use case might involve transporting items within the sphere for delivery. Likewise, SKOOTR can reportedly overcome obstacles and can even climb stairs.
An article detailing the robot, “SKOOTR: A SKating, Omni-Oriented, Tripedal Robot,” appears in the journal arXiv.
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