Mechanism of a Wheel-Chair Type Mobility Robot Adapted to Escalators and Low-Floor Buses

Abstract

We report on a mechanism of a wheel-chair type robot that can be adapted to escalators and low-floor buses. The transport capacity of the escalators is larger than that of elevators. The low-floor buses are suitable for wheel-chair users; however, drivers of the buses need to set up a slope to pass through the wheel-chair. In literature, many types of leg-wheel type robots were developed to overcome the barriers such as staircases and trains. To be adapted to escalators using three steps, the height difference between front and rear wheels are 400 mm. The step heights of the entrance of the low-floor buses are about 120 mm. Here we show a mechanism to be adapted to escalators and low-floor buses with limited number of actuators: five linear actuators and two driving wheels.