Rover

Basic functionality

Versatile manipulator

The manipulator is equipped with six rotational degrees of freedom. Which allows it to pick up objects up to 2 kg in weight.

Expandable modules

Different tasks require different tools. Our rover is build to quickly change its capabilities with removable modules.

Sensors

The rover is equipped with a variety of instruments to sense its enviroment. Two cameras ensure the operator's awareness.

Undercarriage

The undercarriage has a rocker suspension that can overcome difficult terrain. Each wheel can turn individually, providing advantage over differential skid steering.

Undercarriage

The rover went through several design changes. Most of the changes were to the undercarriage. We have done a lot of simulations to determine which undercarriage kinematics to use and what type of springs and dampers are suitable. In the end we have settled on a rigid rocker design with an averaging link in the back of the rover.

The chassis holds all the important electronic components and additional modules are mounted on top of it.

Terrain traversal

The wheels have integrated BLCD hub motors with planetary gearboxes. The rover can drive slopes up to 45 degrees. Thanks to its rocker design the rover can traverse 300 mm high obstacles.

6DOF Manipulator

Our unique design of a manipulator allows us to pick up object from the ground on all sides of the rover.

All the drive units are electric DC motors with encoders which are controll which our own driver board and software located inside the arm itself. So that the arm can be used by itself for testing.

End effectors

Multiple tasks require multiple tools. That is why we have developed two different end-effectors, for scooping and grasping.

The scooping end-effector can take a sample of up to 200 grams of soil from the surface and deliver it to the soil containers.

The grasping end-effector is equiped with a camera inside the jaws and is capable of picking up various objects and operating industrial switches and knobs.

Wheels

When wheels are designed from 3d printed flexible material.
The design allows the wheel to deform on a rough surface and keep traction.

Arm controller

A custom made joystick and a controller board is used for remotely controlling the rovers manipulator. It has three modes: direct teleoperation mode, autonomous mode and inverse kinematics mode.

Why K3P4?

It might seem like just a cool name for a robot. But it comes from abbreviating the internal code of our department, the department of robotics -> Katedra 354 -> Katedra tři pět čtyři -> K3P4. It's a bit cryptic, but we like it nonetheless!