Development of a Throwbot with Shock Absorption Structure

Abstract

In this study, a throwing robot equipped with an shock absorbing structure, utilizing paired-Cross Flexural Hinge (p-CFH) and an airbag, was fabricated and validated to assess the effectiveness of its impact absorption mechanism. This robot was developed in anticipation of situations where direct human intervention for life rescue would be challenging. Throwing robots can be broadly categorized into ball type, wheel type, and hybrid type. The hybrid type combines the advantages of both: the ease of throwing from ball type, due to its low air resistance coefficient, and the versatile mobility of the wheel type in diverse environments. However, hybrid type throwing robots are more vulnerable to external impacts due to the complexity of their internal structure, resulting in a lower maximum drop height compared to wheel type robots.To address these challenges, this research proposes a the Throwbot that combines the easy throwing capability of ball type with the obstacle overcoming ability of the wheel type, while also addressing the low free fall height drawback inherent in hybrid types. To achieve this, we developed a Throwbot with a ball to wheel transform structure, p-CFH mechanism, and airbag based impact absorption system. Additionally, materials were selected based on simulation results to refine the Throw-bot. The performance of the proposed robot was evaluated through various assessments, including free fall experiments and obstacle overcoming tests. Through this research, the proposed Throwbot effectively addresses the shortcomings of existing throwing robots, establishing a novel approach to throwing robot design. © 2024 IEEE.