143 WHEELED ROBOTS AND LUNAR CARS 4

ePaddle robot, 2015, from China. This eccentric paddle mechanism robot uses its paddles to climb over obstacles or upstairs. Frictional requirements of the paddle-aided stair-climbing postures confirm that the robot can climb up the stairs. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Modeling-paddle-aided-stair-climbing-for-a-mobile-Sun-Yang/603d0764234f5a35036dc9620f13e144a45ffc21

Transformable wheel, 2014. Wheel transforms itself in legs with a passive process. The robot can climb over an obstacle 3.25 times as tall as its wheel radius. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Wheel-Transformer-A-Wheel-Leg-Hybrid-Robot-With-Pa-Kim-Jung/e5a6182a424bddd6feb68d958bdeb056bf356913

Wheel transformer robot, 2013. The transformation process is passively operated by an external frictional force, so it does not need any actuators. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Wheel-transformer-A-miniaturized-terrain-adaptive-Kim-Jung/f2bd099e3bfba150258d7bb2f2411b609fdea369

R-Crank Amphibious robot, 2016, by HiBot of Hirose and Suzumori Lab, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Crank links connecting front and rear wheels, act as legs. Designed for use in disasters. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/R-Crank-Amphibious-all-terrain-mobile-robot-Yamada-Hirose/05a3616a0d331281583db32735226eff3e37a2f4, http://www.unusuallocomotion.com/pages/more-documentation-ii/71-walking-hopping-spherical-wsl-robots-and-vehicles-2.html. The Beachmaster, in 1943, had similar cranks : http://www.unusuallocomotion.com/pages/more-documentation-iii/79-4x4-wheeled-rigid-vehicles-heavy-3.html

Roveo robot of Rovenso, a Start Up issued from EPFL, Switzerland. Independent suspension allows crossing many obstacles. It is tested for dismantling nuclear power plants. Rovenso went to Shenzhen, China, where is an accelerator of start-up with the US HAX. https://www.expoprotection.com/SANTE-ET-SECURITE-AU-TRAVAIL/Article.htm?Zoom=4313984bdd7c11322038839351cc2ed9, http://www.rovenso.com/, https://www.letemps.ch/economie/2016/06/29/suisses-seduits-innovante-shenzhen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQanCwiVDn4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ab2ZTBtLlg

Tri-Star-Wheeled robot, 2015, with two modes of operation : major wheel and minor wheel. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Tri-Wheel-A-novel-wheel-leg-mobility-concept-Smith-Quinn/b683a4e2c0cc69008c3d0a84ad8a54bfc8e3755f

Stair Climbing Robot, 2016, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Design-of-a-Robust-Stair-Climbing-Compliant-Modula-Bhole-Turlapati/d9fd7ab2d507e4ef555c5e7f9dfa0ddf6fdb4196

KTR X1 8X8 robot, electric powered, RC. From Poland, 140 kg, ground clearance 27 cm, 8 km/h, 4 motors 24V / 450W each. https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/ktr-x1-8x8-hybrid-rc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSLRCJHugYk

Hybrid vehicle, unmanned, 2018, entered into competition at the third land-based unmanned system competition “Crossing Obstacles 2018” at Beijing. This very interesting vehicle is fitted with 4 Tri-Star-wheels (like Terrastar in the 60s) surrounded by tracks which was never seen on an off-road vehicle. Wheels and Tri-Star wheels are mounted on 4 pendulums. This concept appears very new. Chassis is rigid. At equivalent size, is it better than an articulated tracked vehicle for crossing obstacles ?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

Hybrid vehicle, unmanned, 2018, demonstrating its self-leveling capabilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

Longma Articulated 8x8 robot, unmanned. Articulated chassis with positive pitch control is not new (see Metrac of Meili 6x6, 1958) but never used for series built vehicles except Gama Goat (without hydraulics and positive pitch control) and Goer witch was an articulated  4x4 in the 60s. It was found that price was higher, load space and payload reduced. Only tracked vehicles like Volvo BV 202, Hägglünds BV 206 and now several Russian articulated tracked vehicles were or are fitted with positive pitch control. Nevertheless, this articulated 8x8 presented at “Crossing Obstacles 2018”near Beijing is new (8x8 articulated) and very exciting to enhance land mobility. It must be tested and it could be interesting if it could be series built. Land-based unmanned system competition 'Crossing Obstacles 2018' on Sep. 10, 2018 involved 136 participating teams from 61 units, including 14 military and civilian colleges and universities, 26 private companies, 10 state-owned companies, and 11 research institutes, which contains most of the elite research teams of land unmanned systems in China  near Beijing.
The competition included 10 competition events of 4 categories, such as autonomous maneuvers and reconnaissance in the field, transportation of unmanned systems. Many very new locomotion systems were presented and that's good for off-road locomotion. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=fr&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fhk.on.cc%2Fcn%2Fbkn%2Fcnt%2Fnews%2F20170121%2Fbkncn-20170121094220412-0121_05011_001.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

Longma Articulated 8x8 robot, unmanned at 'Crossing Obstacles 2018.

Tracked wheeled robot. Six wheels with pendulum tracks, hydraulic powered arms are very innovative at  'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

6x6 Robot, https://www.armyrecognition.com/airshow_china_2018_zhuhai_news_show_daily_coverage/airshow_china_2018_new_dragon_horse_ii_

ugv_unveiled_by_sunward.html

Tri-Star-Wheel Robot. Unlike the Terrastar of the 60s with skid steering, this one is fitted with Ackermann Steering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

8x8 robot from 'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2bcSsloaDA

8x8 robot from 'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. It is fitted with hydraulically actuated arms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2bcSsloaDA

8x8 robot at 'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. Four articulated hydraulically actuated arms are fitted front and rear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

4x4 robot at 'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

4x4 robot with a track below witch is a wheel-cum-track. Two little wheels help for crossing. From 'Crossing Obstacles 2018', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

6x6 robot at 'Crossing Obstacles 2018'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

6x6 UGV. Left : China North Industries Corporation (Norinco), http://www.thefifthcolumn.xyz/Forum/viewthread.php?tid=35&page=5, right : from 'Crossing Obstacles 2018' : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzkOpN0ftk

Morphable wheel robot, designed by Xu Qiwei, a second-year graduate student of SJTU-ParisTech School of Elite Engineer awarded at Shenzhen in 2017. The robot has three gestures of movement; the “round-wheel gesture” does exactly what it says, and is used for moving on smooth surfaces. The “forward-paw gesture” is used when the robot encounters obstacles when moving forward, where its wheels will morph into forward-mode paws and allows itself to climb over obstacles of certain heights. The “backward-paw gesture” is similar to the forward one, except it is used when moving backwards. The innovation here includes the design and optimization of the three-mode morphable wheels, the strategy analysis of how to cross over different types of obstacles on different surfaces. From : http://speit.sjtu.edu.cn/index-mobileen!new_three.action?ccid=2004&xwkxid=2004

Wheeled robot from China. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=fr&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wenlc.com%2Fweixin%2F20160617A01JYX00.html