Design and simulation of hexapod off-road robot

Abstract

To address the issue of insufficient terrain adaptability in mobile robots operating in complex environments, this paper draws inspiration from the physiological characteristics of stick insects to design a highly stable hexapod off-road robot. Each leg of the robot employs a 3-degree-of-freedom biomimetic structure. Its kinematic model was established using the Denavit–Hartenberg (D-H) parameter method, and the working space of each leg was analyzed using the Caro method. A four-legged obstacle-crossing gait was planned for non-structured terrain. Comparative simulations of virtual prototypes conducted in Adams software demonstrate that this hexapod robot can traverse obstacles smoothly and robustly, while exhibiting superior anti-slip capabilities. The simulation results fully validate the rationality of the structural and gait designs and provide a reliable theoretical basis for subsequent physical prototype development.