I-Corps: Advanced All-Terrain Robot Navigating Cluttered Environments with Tensegrity-Based Locomotion

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an all-terrain robot capable of navigating indoor and outdoor environments effectively. Law enforcement officers, including police officers, SWAT teams, and Bomb Squads, frequently rely on mobile robots to gain situational awareness in various environments such as buildings and residential areas. However, current mobile robots often get stuck on everyday household objects (e.g., door sills, toys, and stairs), compromising the safety of these officers. The proposed technology is an all-terrain robot that is designed to traverse cluttered environments and is capable of navigating indoor and outdoor environments effectively. Equipping first responder teams with advanced robotic capabilities may strengthen their ability to handle critical situations, including terrorism, hostage scenarios, and other threats to public safety. The proposed robot may offer a safe and remote solution, enhancing the safety of team members, while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement officers. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an all-terrain robot with a unique shape-changing capability, designed specifically to traverse cluttered environments. The proposed technology uses an icosahedron tensegrity structure as a wheel, allowing for the wheel's shape to switch between an expanded state for larger footprints and a collapsed disc-like state for tighter areas. The proposed tensegrity structure is a lightweight yet stable system made up of rigid components (often rods or beams) connected by tensioned elements (usually cables or tendons). This wheel structure substantially enhances the robot's ability to navigate large obstacles, access narrow regions through shape modification, and absorb impacts due to its inherent compliance. The versatility of the robot has been tested in a wide range of terrains, from concrete and rocks to sand, vegetation, snow, and water. The proposed robot may have potential in areas such as emergency management, military surveillance, search and rescue, agriculture, and photography, among others. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.