An in-pipe robot is provided with a rotary actuator 30 that rotates the drilling blade 21 in the circumferential direction of an existing pipe. A wheel body 50 provided with a traveling wheel 52 on both sides and a wheel body 70 provided with a traveling wheel 72 on both sides are supported between side frames 43 of a chassis via pins 54 and 74. The other ends of both the wheel bodies are rotatably coupled around an axle 63 of an intermediate wheel 65 as a pivot. When both the wheel bodies rotate, the intermediate wheels and the rotary actuator move above a horizontal line passing through the pin center. Each pin is disposed at the midpoint of a line connecting the center of the traveling wheel and the center of the intermediate wheel so that the rotation axis v1 of the rotary actuator coincides with the pipe center axis of the existing pipe.

A method and apparatus for controlling a wheel-legged robot are provided. The method includes: controlling a first wheel leg to move from a first step onto a second step, controlling a second wheel leg and an auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; controlling the second wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, controlling the first wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step, and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, and controlling the first wheel leg and the second wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step.

A method and apparatus for controlling a wheel-legged robot are provided. The method includes: controlling a first wheel leg to move from a first step onto a second step, controlling a second wheel leg and an auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; controlling the second wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, controlling the first wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step, and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, and controlling the first wheel leg and the second wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step.

A method of footstep contact detection includes receiving joint dynamics data for a swing phase of a swing leg of the robot, receiving odometry data indicative of a pose of the robot, determining whether an impact on the swing leg is indicative of a touchdown of the swing leg based on the joint dynamics data and an amount of completion of the swing phase, and determining when the impact on the swing leg is not indicative of the touchdown of the swing leg, a cause of the impact based on the joint dynamics data and the odometry data.

A method of footstep contact detection includes receiving joint dynamics for a swing leg of the robot where the swing leg performs a swing phase of a gait of the robot. The method also includes receiving odometry defining an estimation of a pose of the robot and determining whether an unexpected torque on the swing leg corresponds to an impact on the swing leg. When the unexpected torque corresponds to the impact, the method further includes determining whether the impact is indicative of a touchdown of the swing leg on a ground surface based on the odometry and the joint dynamics. When the impact is not indicative of the touchdown of the swing leg, the method includes classifying a cause of the impact based on the odometry of the robot and the joint dynamics of the swing leg.

A movable object includes an upper frame and a drive part that is provided under the upper frame and is connected to the upper frame. The drive part includes a first actuator that is connected to the upper frame and rotates on a vertical axis, a first link that is connected to the first actuator and rotatable on the vertical axis by the first actuator, a second actuator that is provided on a first side of the first link and rotates on a horizontal axis, and a second link that faces the first link and is rotatable on a first end portion thereof facing the first link by the second actuator.

A movable object includes an upper frame and a drive part that is provided under the upper frame and is connected to the upper frame. The drive part includes a first actuator that is connected to the upper frame and rotates on a vertical axis, a first link that is connected to the first actuator and rotatable on the vertical axis by the first actuator, a second actuator that is provided on a first side of the first link and rotates on a horizontal axis, and a second link that faces the first link and is rotatable on a first end portion thereof facing the first link by the second actuator.

A robot comprises a wheel-footed bimodal mechanical leg having a driving apparatus, a thigh unit, and a calf unit. A joint end of the thigh unit is hingedly connected to a joint end of the calf unit by a rotary shaft. The driving apparatus is connected to the rotary shaft by a transmission apparatus. The calf unit comprise a locking mechanism. The robot can operate in a footed mode and a wheeled mode. In the footed mode, the calf units and the rotary shafts in n mechanical legs are fixedly connected to each other, where n is an integer that is at least two. In the wheeled mode, the calf units and the rotary shafts in at least two wheel-footed bimodal mechanical legs are rotatably connected to each other.

A robot comprises a wheel-footed bimodal mechanical leg having a driving apparatus, a thigh unit, and a calf unit. A joint end of the thigh unit is hingedly connected to a joint end of the calf unit by a rotary shaft. The driving apparatus is connected to the rotary shaft by a transmission apparatus. The calf unit comprise a locking mechanism. The robot can operate in a footed mode and a wheeled mode. In the footed mode, the calf units and the rotary shafts in n mechanical legs are fixedly connected to each other, where n is an integer that is at least two. In the wheeled mode, the calf units and the rotary shafts in at least two wheel-footed bimodal mechanical legs are rotatably connected to each other.

There is achieved a traveling robot configured to travel by switching between leg driving and wheel driving while suppressing a decrease in velocity in switching between the leg driving and the wheel driving. The traveling robot includes a drive unit, a clutch configured to switch a transmission destination of a driving force from the drive unit, a leg and a wheel that are configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit, and a control unit. The control unit executes, in drive switching between leg driving and wheel driving, travel velocity control before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching. The control unit sets, in the drive switching between the leg driving and the wheel driving, a sliding movement state in which the wheel is caused to slide in a non-driven state. The control unit executes, in the drive switching, acceleration processing before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching.