A Novel Skid-Steering Walking Vehicle with Dual Single-Driven Quadruped Mechanism

A novel legged-vehicle called dual quadruped vehicle (DQV) is proposed. The DQV contains two identical single-driven quadruped mechanisms which are composed of single degree-of-freedom (DoF) planar mechanisms. Based on the functional requirements, the construction of leg mechanism is presented. The arrangement of overall vehicle is described, and the steering analysis is discussed. Finally, the dynamic simulation and experimental system are carried out to verify the validity of the theoretical analysis and the maneuverability of the prototype. By decreasing the DoFs, it is useful for the reduction of the cost and simplification of the control algorithm. What’s more, the reliability and practicality of the walking vehicle can also be enhanced.