Development of the quadruped walking robot, "TITAN-IX" - On the application for the humanitarian demining robot, "VK-II"

This paper proposes a quadruped-walking robot that performs the humanitarian mine detection and removal tasks. Because there are many personnel landmines remaining from wars, it is desirable to provide a safe, inexpensive tool that civilians can use to remove these mines. We had already proposed the concept of the humanitarian demining robot system for four years. And we had had the basic experiments of first prototype VK-1 using the modified quadruped walking robot, TITAN-VIII. After these experiments, we refine our concept. So, the new robot has a tool (end-effector) changing system on its back, so by utilizing the legs as manipulation arms and connecting various tools to the foot, it can perform mine detection and removal tasks. To accomplish these tasks, we developed the various end effectors that can be attached to the working leg. In this paper we will discuss the advance of the study of the robot system VK-II and introduce the new walking robot called as TITAN-IX to apply to the new system VK-II.