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Abstract:
As mobile robots are being designed for increasingly rugged and unknown terrain, mechanical reconfigurability presents one possibility for improving vehicle efficiency and mobility. To validate this idea, we created an 18.5-kg modular tracked vehicle with adjustable track tension, track width, track length, and sprocket diameter.

In this talk, I will explain the initial testing of this vehicle for discrete obstacles. I will cover the testing procedure and results of experimentation varying each of the four adjustabilities. The results of this testing can be used to help inform the creation of a self-reconfigurable tracked system.

Committee:
Dimi Apostolopoulos
David Wettergreen
Howie Choset
Eugene Fang