Kinematic discussion and development of a multi-legged planetary exploration rover with an isotropic leg arrangement

This study deals with a multi-legged planetary rover with a spherically isotropic leg arrangement. The legged rover is a reliable rover system for exploration on rough terrains, because it can continue walking even after overturning. Moreover, the legged rover can also show a rotational motion by utilizing its isotropic shape. This paper discusses the walking performance of two types of rover shapes: one has a six-leg arrangement based on a regular octahedron and the other has an eight-leg arrangement based on a regular hexahedron. The design procedure of the proposed rover is explained, and a test-bed system, which is developed to demonstrate the fundamental motions, is also presented.