蛇形机器人的耦合驱动模块化单元设计

介绍了新型蛇形机器人关节单元，该单元是模块化万向单元(MUU)，由该单元可以组装成一个三维蛇形肌器人．每个MUU具有三个自由度．并用差动机构实现耦台驱动该MUU的优点是能够通过耦合机械产生较大的力矩，有利于蛇形机器人的越障和运动，有更大的灵活性、适应性，并可完成非自然蛇的运动方式．特别是回转自由度可使蛇形机器人根据不同的运动环境来更换皮肤从而达到更高的运动效率．此自由度可以在蛇形机器人攀爬过程中起驱动作用该单元连接简单易于实现可重构。

Coupled-actuation modular universal unit (MUU) of snake-like robot

In this paper,we design a new type of joint mechanism,which is a modular universal unit (we call it MUU hereinafter).By connecting them,we can build a 3 dimensional snake-like robot.Each MUU has three degrees of freedom;its coupled motion can be achieved by means of differential driving system.The advantage of the mechanism is that the MUU can change the arrangement of its 3 degrees of freedom in order to get larger torque in corresponding direction benefiting to climbing.The snake-like robot that consits of a series of MUU has more flexibility such as it can perform the natural snake locomotion.The unnatural motion can also be achieved by this mechanism,since the unit is reconfigurable.Other reconfigurable structures are also described and some applications are presented in this paper.