Amphibious Robot with Horizontal Articulated Mechanism

In recent years, the frequency of heavy rainfall disasters in Japan has increased due to the intensification of climate change-induced phenomena, accompanied by frequent occurrences of secondary disasters such as floods and landslides. Amphibious robots capable of mobility both on land and water surfaces are gaining attention for their potential to enable movement in environments that are challenging for humans to access, particularly for lifesaving and information-gathering during heavy rainfall disasters. In this paper, we develop a robot of amphibious with a horizontal articulated mechanism capable of moving on both land and water surface, with a focus on activities expected during heavy rainfall disasters. The proposed robot has a cylindrical torso, legs with horizontal articulation mechanisms, and a drive system powered by a single actuator. The experimental results confirmed that stable movement can be achieved on both land and water surface.