A six-legged, bio-inspired, energy-efficient and adaptable free climbing robot for mobility on steep gradients to provide a system for extraterrestrial surface exploration missions, paying special attention to mobility in lunar craters to retrieve or analyze scientific samples.

The body of the SpaceClimber prototype are lightweight, robust, and as small as possible. However, it has enough space for the integration of all central electronic components as well as the cabling. The
body is manufactured in sheet metal construction, which offers a lightweight and robust design. This construction also makes it possible to implement support points for the different components. The closed outer hull consists of polyamide plastic, manufactured with rapid-prototyping SLS technology.

Space Climber

The body of the SpaceClimber prototype are lightweight, robust, and as small as possible. However, it has enough space for the integration of all central electronic components as well as the cabling. The body is manufactured in sheet metal construction, which offers a lightweight and robust design. This construction also makes it possible to implement support points for the different components. The closed outer hull consists of polyamide plastic, manufactured with rapid-prototyping SLS technology.The head of the robot is a compact and lightweight module with one DoF to be able to turn left and right. The turning is actuated by a Dynamixel servo. A high-resolution Prosilica camera is used for the vision system, located on the left side of the head. The gap between the left and the right halves of the shell is used by a Hokuyo laser scanner module rotated by 90 degrees.The legs of the SpaceClimber robot comprise 24 actuator modules. These actuators are built identically in order to simplify space qualification procedures in further steps. The actuators are dustproof to withstand the harsh lunar environmental conditions. The special outer structure of the actuator compartment leads both to weight reduction and to heat transmission of the components.

Thesis focuses on the development, control, and evaluation of the six-leggedrobot. The performance of the developed systemis evaluated and optimized based on empirical data acquired in significant and re-producible experiments.

Development, Control, and Empirical Evaluation ofthe Six-Legged Robot SpaceClimber; Designed for Extraterrestrial Crater Exploration

Describes the project, it's specifications, control, and the mechanical and electrical design. 

Development of the six-legged walking and climbing robot SpaceClimber

Length

Width

Height

Maximum leg length

Middle

Degrees of freedom

Proprioceptive sensors

Exteroceptive sensors

Mass

Single leg mass

Body mass (incl. head)

Max. payload

Power

A six-legged, bio-inspired, energy-efficient and adaptable free climbing robot for mobility on steep gradients to provide a system for extraterrestrial surface exploration missions, paying special attention to mobility in lunar craters to retrieve or analyze scientific samples. 

Length	850	mm
Width	1000	mm
Height	220	mm
Maximum leg length	640	mm
Middle	650	mm
Degrees of freedom	26	legs 6 x 4