Event
Geometrically Self-Locking Deployable Linkage Mechanism for Robot Vacuums Proposed and Validated
1 reports · 1 sources
Eunseok Song et al. proposed a geometrically self-locking two-stage deployable linkage mechanism, integrated onto a commercial robot vacuum for push-based tidying tasks, and experimentally validated its feasibility. The mechanism achieves self-locking when fully deployed, as the inner three-link subchain approaches a collinear near-singular configuration and the transmission ratio approaches zero. A single actuator handles deployment and locking, a passive trigger on the chassis unlocks and retracts it, and another actuator only adjusts deployment height. Validation included a 100-cycle repeatability test, a quasi-static load test in which the locking plate withstood 50 N with the motor powered off, and 140 push-based tidying trials across seven household item types, compared against a commercial robot vacuum equipped with a robotic arm.
Report timeline
- Tidying Tasks for Robot Vacuums via Geometry-Induced Self-Locking Deployable Linkage
The study proposes a two-stage deployable linkage that self-locks through its own geometry and is integrated into a commercial robot vacuum to support pushing-type tidying tasks. The mechanism uses a single actuator to deploy and lock, a passive trigger to release the lock for retraction, and a second actuator to adjust deployment height only; at full deployment, an internal three-link subchain approaches a collinear, near-singular configuration in which the transmission ratio tends toward zero, so loads produce only a very small residual back-driving torque.
arXiv cs.RO ·