Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity

We propose a mechanical design for a simple teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to negotiate uneven terrain. UGVs are typically classified into legged, legged-wheeled, wheeled, and tanked forms. Legged vehicles can significantly shift their center of gravity (COG) by positioning their multi-a...

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Main Authors: Fukuoka, Yasuhiro, Oshino, Kazuyuki, Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/1/Negotiating%20uneven%20terrain%20by%20a%20simple%20teleoperated%20tracked%20vehicle%20with%20internally%20movable%20center%20of%20gravity.pdf
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author Fukuoka, Yasuhiro
Oshino, Kazuyuki
Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim
author_facet Fukuoka, Yasuhiro
Oshino, Kazuyuki
Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim
author_sort Fukuoka, Yasuhiro
building UMP Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We propose a mechanical design for a simple teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to negotiate uneven terrain. UGVs are typically classified into legged, legged-wheeled, wheeled, and tanked forms. Legged vehicles can significantly shift their center of gravity (COG) by positioning their multi-articulated legs at appropriate trajectories, stepping over a high obstacle. To realize a COG movable mechanism with a small number of joints, a number of UGVs have been developed that can shift their COG by moving a mass at a high position above the body. However, these tend to pose a risk of overturning, and the mass must be moved quite far to climb a high step. To address these issues, we design a novel COG shift mechanism, in which the COG can be shifted forward and backward inside the body by moving most of its internal devices. Since this movable mass includes DC motors for driving both tracks, we can extend the range of the COG movement. We demonstrate that a conventional tracked vehicle prototype can traverse a step and a gap between two steps, as well as climb stairs and a steep slope, with a human operating the vehicle movement and the movable mass position.
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spelling ump-351172022-10-27T00:41:48Z http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/ Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity Fukuoka, Yasuhiro Oshino, Kazuyuki Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim T Technology (General) TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering We propose a mechanical design for a simple teleoperated unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to negotiate uneven terrain. UGVs are typically classified into legged, legged-wheeled, wheeled, and tanked forms. Legged vehicles can significantly shift their center of gravity (COG) by positioning their multi-articulated legs at appropriate trajectories, stepping over a high obstacle. To realize a COG movable mechanism with a small number of joints, a number of UGVs have been developed that can shift their COG by moving a mass at a high position above the body. However, these tend to pose a risk of overturning, and the mass must be moved quite far to climb a high step. To address these issues, we design a novel COG shift mechanism, in which the COG can be shifted forward and backward inside the body by moving most of its internal devices. Since this movable mass includes DC motors for driving both tracks, we can extend the range of the COG movement. We demonstrate that a conventional tracked vehicle prototype can traverse a step and a gap between two steps, as well as climb stairs and a steep slope, with a human operating the vehicle movement and the movable mass position. MDPI 2022-01-01 Article PeerReviewed pdf en cc_by_4 http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/1/Negotiating%20uneven%20terrain%20by%20a%20simple%20teleoperated%20tracked%20vehicle%20with%20internally%20movable%20center%20of%20gravity.pdf Fukuoka, Yasuhiro and Oshino, Kazuyuki and Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim (2022) Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 12 (1). pp. 1-16. ISSN 2076-3417. (Published) https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010525 https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010525
spellingShingle T Technology (General)
TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Fukuoka, Yasuhiro
Oshino, Kazuyuki
Ahmad Najmuddin, Ibrahim
Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title_full Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title_fullStr Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title_full_unstemmed Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title_short Negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
title_sort negotiating uneven terrain by a simple teleoperated tracked vehicle with internally movable center of gravity
topic T Technology (General)
TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
url http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/35117/1/Negotiating%20uneven%20terrain%20by%20a%20simple%20teleoperated%20tracked%20vehicle%20with%20internally%20movable%20center%20of%20gravity.pdf