Small Walking Robot: All-Terrain Platform (PROMPT) |
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Martian exploration will evolve at the dawn of 2020 towards robots at the restricted cost,
reduced dimensions and the mobility adapted to the rough terrains which are rich in geological information.
Canada being an international leader in space robotics, a participation in these missions seems a natural
evolution of its program. With an aim of developing a bank of solutions specific to planetary robotics,
the Department of Space Technologies of the Canadian Space Agency entrusted us the mandate to design
and protoype a small walking robot platform.
Fig. 1: Some regions of Mars show a highly rugged geology.
Our principal objectives of design were to create a simple and reliable platform able to move on a rough
terrain without finding itself in a position that would make it unusable, while minimizing dimensions,
the mass, the number of actuators and the power consumption. The prototype is the result of analytical
and numerical studies of kinematics and dynamics carried out on several geometrical models.
With only two motors actuating its six legs, the robot has a simplicity of control which goes hand in
hand with the specifications required by the space context of the project. It has mechanical reflexes
enabling him to adapt in an intelligent and automatic way to its environment and has a mechanical
effectiveness seldom equalized for a walking robot.
Fig. 2: ProEngineer model.
The prototype was tested at the Canadian Space Agency on a terrain simulating Martian topography.
The experiment performed on the analog site showed the viability of the concept selected: its reversibility,
its handiness and its stability enabled it to cross the fields of rocks length into broad and with a
remarkable speed of execution. The improvement of the system of transmission, the addition of the mechanism
of compliance and the control of the tripod gait will certainly make it a potential candidate for the
future robotized planetary missions.
Fig. 3: Experiment at the Canadian Space Agency.
Poster
A poster on the walking robot PROMPT was prepared in 2005, and can be downloaded with the following
PDF file.
 À la conquête de Mars (5,6 Mb)
Selected Photos
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Several photos of the walking robot PROMPT are provided below. They can be enlarged by clicking directly
on the photo. |
Video Clips
The following video clips illustrate the prototype of the walking robot PROMPT.
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PROMPT: brainstorming
Video clip showing several concepts discussed in the design of the robot PROMPT.
Format: wmv Length: 44 s Size: 4,5 Mb
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PROMPT: compliance
Video clip showing the compliance mechanism of the robot PROMPT.
Format: avi Length: 3 s Size: 2,3 Mb
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PROMPT: assembly
Video clip showing the assembly of the robot PROMPT.
Format: wmv Length: 26 s Size: 1,2 Mb
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PROMPT: actual use
Video clip showing an actual use of the robot PROMPT (experiment at the Canadian Space Agency's analog site).
Format: wmv Length: 2 min 36 s Size: 15 Mb
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PROMPT: actual use
Video clip showing an actual use of the robot PROMPT (excerpts of the short film made for Espace 400e).
Format: wmv Length: 1 min 23 s Size: 12 Mb
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PROMPT: actual use
Video clip showing an actual use of the robot PROMPT (experiment at the Canadian Space Agency's analog site).
Format: wmv Length: 0 min 30 s Size: 4,6 Mb
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PROMPT: actual use
Video clip showing an actual use of the robot PROMPT (experiment on Laval University's campus).
Format: wmv Length: 3 min 02 s Size: 18 Mb
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PROMPT: actual use
Video clip showing an actual use of the robot PROMPT (experiment at the UTIAS Mars Dome).
Format: wmv Length: 6 min 03 s Size: 35 Mb
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