Sensory redundant parallel mobile mechanism

This paper presents a novel design for a mobile robot based on the kinematics of parallel mechanisms. The robot consists of 3 legs, each equipped with an asynchronous driving unit. The legs are connected to the driving units with spherical joints and to the upper plate with a revolute joint. Three additional encoders, attached to the upper revolute joints provide redundant data. This data is used by a kinematic model for accurate estimation of the robot´s configuration and position in space, even in rough terrains, where conventional odometry fails. Simulation results show the advantages of the design, and suggest a method for detection of irregularities of surfaces in unknown environments.