Articulated joint for a high-mobility modular vehicle

Joseph S. Tesar; Charles J. Cohen; Jay Obermark

doi:10.1117/12.439969

20 September 2001 Articulated joint for a high-mobility modular vehicle

Joseph S. Tesar, Charles J. Cohen, Jay Obermark

Proceedings Volume 4364, Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology III; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.439969
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing, Simulation, and Controls, 2001, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an articulated link for two mobile, articulated vehicles. The goal of the project is to show enhanced mobility of coupled platforms in an environment with barriers and obstacles. To achieve enhanced mobility, actuated linkages are used to couple the vehicles. The actuated linkages are high strength, hydraulically coupled, two degree-of-freedom devices with a universal coupler mounted on the end. When one platform is mated to a companion platform, the couplers lock, and the pair of vehicles can operate as a single unit. The robotic platform is based on a modified All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), which affords a robust platform with a minimum of cost. The vehicles are controlled using a wireless controller, and can be operated individually in a teleoperative mode, or can be joined and operated as a single unit. The method for link-up is semi-autonomous, meaning that within a certain distance, the two robots can align themselves and move together, locking the couplers on the end of the articulated link. Vehicle position is determined using standard cameras mounted on the platform that use machine vision algorithms to find volumetric position of the couplers quickly.

Citation Download Citation

Joseph S. Tesar, Charles J. Cohen, and Jay Obermark "Articulated joint for a high-mobility modular vehicle", Proc. SPIE 4364, Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology III, (20 September 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.439969

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