Performance Analysis of a Hexagon Rolling Mechanism With Single Degree of Freedom

Abstract This article presents a comprehensive performance analysis of the step-climbing and passive rolling modes of a hexagon rolling mechanism with single-degree-of-freedom, based on its structural characteristics and the constraints of centroid stability. First, a step-climbing model, incorporating motion parameters and support distance parameters, is established by leveraging the symmetrical posture movement characteristics of the hexagon rolling mechanism. Building on this foundation, the impact of each parameter on the mechanism's step-climbing ability is thoroughly analyzed, and the maximum height achievable during step climbing is also examined. Subsequently, the existence and sufficient conditions for the hexagon rolling mechanism to achieve passive rolling are analyzed using the centroid fluctuation curve and its slope curves. The analysis results indicate that, due to its unique coupling structure design, the hexagon rolling mechanism possesses a passive rolling capability that is not available in conventional planar linkage mechanisms. Finally, the correctness of the theoretical model is validated through both simulation and prototype experiments.