In this article, a novel yet simple step climbing robot is proposed and is comprised of two front wheels, a rear-wheel and an actuator to vary the center distance between the front and rear wheels. When a robot climbs a stair, the huge variance in the inclination angle of the robot may result in its toppling. Hence, a mechanism is proposed to compensate for the change in inclination angle. An inertial measuring unit (IMU) is used to sense the inclination angle of the robot which is then fed to a microcontroller in order to actuate the connecting link, thereby reducing the variation of the inclination angle. During ascending simulations on dynamic model based on the Newton–Euler formulation, the required torque on rear wheel is reduced by 26.3% as compared to uncontrolled simulations. Moreover, the normal reaction on rear wheel during descending simulation has increased by 170.9% by controlling the inclination angle, which reduced the probability of toppling of the proposed robot. Multiple experiments on the prototype with a controlled condition show that the variation in inclination angle is reduced by 77.8% during ascending, whereas it is reduced by 92.8% during descending resulting in successful operation on the stairs as compared to uncontrolled cases.

This manuscript presents a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuated anti-slip mechanism for the wheels of step climbing robots. The proposed mechanism comprises three kinematic chains considering the Lazy Tong and the bi-stable four-bar mechanism. Chain 1 of the mechanism is used to clamp on the edges of the stairs to avoid slipping. The second chain of the mechanism is used to switch the mechanism between two stable positions, i.e., open position and closed position, of chain 1. For activating the mechanism, the third chain is employed which is based on SMA wire. Furthermore, the mechanism is designed to achieve passive switching from the open position to the closed position. Equations are developed to determine the dimensions of various members. Using those parameters, a 3D model of the proposed mechanism is developed. Stress analysis is performed and the model is found to be safe under a load of 250 N with a factor of safety of 3.025. The mechanism is attached to either side of a wheel of the outer radius of 290 mm. To analyze the kinematics of the mechanism, a three-dimensional model in MSC Adams is developed and studied. The force required by SMA actuator is found to be less than 5 N. The proposed mechanism may be used for various unmanned robotic systems while mitigating step-like obstacles in the path.