Distributed driving system for the excavation unit of a lunar earthwarm-type “LEAVO” excavation robot

Abstract

The authors have developed a small excavation robot called the “LEAVO” for lunar exploration, and they have confirmed its usefulness as an excavation robot. They then attempted to add a curved excavation function in order for the LEAVO to increase its exploration field. To achieve this goal, it was necessary for the LEAVO’s excavation unit to transmit the motor output torque to the excavation head without any losses. In this paper, therefore, the authors proposed a new driving system called the “distributed driving system,” which reduced the transmission losses by distributing the actuators and arranging them in the frontal part of the robot. Moreover, the authors developed the prototype of this system and measured its output torque as an operational check.