Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments
Wheeled-legged robots integrate the mobility efficiency of wheeled platforms with the terrain adaptability of legged robots, making them ideal for complex, unstructured environments. However, balancing high payload capacity with agile multimodal locomotion remains a major challenge. This paper prese...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
|
| Series: | Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667379725000476 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849228297202827264 |
|---|---|
| author | Kang Wang Jinmian Hou Shichao Zhou Dachuang Wei Wei Xu Yulin Wang Hui Chai Lingkun Chen Qiuguo Zhu Liang Gao Min Guo Guoteng Zhang Zhongqu Xie Tuo Liu Mingyue Zhu Yueming Wang Tong Yan Jingsong Gao Meng Hong Weikai Ding |
| author_facet | Kang Wang Jinmian Hou Shichao Zhou Dachuang Wei Wei Xu Yulin Wang Hui Chai Lingkun Chen Qiuguo Zhu Liang Gao Min Guo Guoteng Zhang Zhongqu Xie Tuo Liu Mingyue Zhu Yueming Wang Tong Yan Jingsong Gao Meng Hong Weikai Ding |
| author_sort | Kang Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wheeled-legged robots integrate the mobility efficiency of wheeled platforms with the terrain adaptability of legged robots, making them ideal for complex, unstructured environments. However, balancing high payload capacity with agile multimodal locomotion remains a major challenge. This paper presents a field study conducted in the high-altitude region of Golmud, Qinghai, with elevations ranging from 2800 m to 4000 m. We evaluate three wheeled-legged robot platforms of different scales on diverse terrains including Gobi, desert, grassland, and wetlands. Our experiments demonstrate the robot’s robust locomotion performance across multimodal tasks such as obstacle crossing, slope climbing, and terrain classification. Moreover, we validate the performance of autonomous perception systems, including real-time localization and 3D mapping, under harsh plateau conditions. The results provide valuable insights into the deployment of wheeled-legged robots in extreme natural environments and lay a solid foundation for future applications in inspection, rescue, and transport missions in high-altitude regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62377720a4ce41d4b9cf78a56ebe9155 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-3797 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics |
| spelling | doaj-art-62377720a4ce41d4b9cf78a56ebe91552025-08-23T04:49:50ZengElsevierBiomimetic Intelligence and Robotics2667-37972025-09-015310025610.1016/j.birob.2025.100256Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environmentsKang Wang0Jinmian Hou1Shichao Zhou2Dachuang Wei3Wei Xu4Yulin Wang5Hui Chai6Lingkun Chen7Qiuguo Zhu8Liang Gao9Min Guo10Guoteng Zhang11Zhongqu Xie12Tuo Liu13Mingyue Zhu14Yueming Wang15Tong Yan16Jingsong Gao17Meng Hong18Weikai Ding19China North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, ChinaSchool of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, ChinaInstitute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, ChinaChina North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, China; Corresponding authors.School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; Corresponding authors.School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; Corresponding authors.School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; Corresponding authors.Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; Corresponding authors.School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; Corresponding authors.School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; Corresponding authors.School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China; Corresponding authors.China North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, ChinaChina North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, ChinaChina North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, ChinaChina North Vehicle Research Institute, Beijing 100072, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaSchool of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, ChinaWheeled-legged robots integrate the mobility efficiency of wheeled platforms with the terrain adaptability of legged robots, making them ideal for complex, unstructured environments. However, balancing high payload capacity with agile multimodal locomotion remains a major challenge. This paper presents a field study conducted in the high-altitude region of Golmud, Qinghai, with elevations ranging from 2800 m to 4000 m. We evaluate three wheeled-legged robot platforms of different scales on diverse terrains including Gobi, desert, grassland, and wetlands. Our experiments demonstrate the robot’s robust locomotion performance across multimodal tasks such as obstacle crossing, slope climbing, and terrain classification. Moreover, we validate the performance of autonomous perception systems, including real-time localization and 3D mapping, under harsh plateau conditions. The results provide valuable insights into the deployment of wheeled-legged robots in extreme natural environments and lay a solid foundation for future applications in inspection, rescue, and transport missions in high-altitude regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667379725000476Wheeled-legged robotsReinforcement learning controlTerrain classificationPerception and mapping |
| spellingShingle | Kang Wang Jinmian Hou Shichao Zhou Dachuang Wei Wei Xu Yulin Wang Hui Chai Lingkun Chen Qiuguo Zhu Liang Gao Min Guo Guoteng Zhang Zhongqu Xie Tuo Liu Mingyue Zhu Yueming Wang Tong Yan Jingsong Gao Meng Hong Weikai Ding Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics Wheeled-legged robots Reinforcement learning control Terrain classification Perception and mapping |
| title | Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| title_full | Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| title_fullStr | Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| title_short | Wheeled-legged robots for multi-terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| title_sort | wheeled legged robots for multi terrain locomotion in plateau environments |
| topic | Wheeled-legged robots Reinforcement learning control Terrain classification Perception and mapping |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667379725000476 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kangwang wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT jinmianhou wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT shichaozhou wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT dachuangwei wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT weixu wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT yulinwang wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT huichai wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT lingkunchen wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT qiuguozhu wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT lianggao wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT minguo wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT guotengzhang wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT zhongquxie wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT tuoliu wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT mingyuezhu wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT yuemingwang wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT tongyan wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT jingsonggao wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT menghong wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments AT weikaiding wheeledleggedrobotsformultiterrainlocomotioninplateauenvironments |