Prototyping and Testing the Screw-propelled Multi-terrain Amphibious RoboT (SMART)

The Screw-propelled Multi-terrain Amphibious RoboT (SMART) is a screw-propelled vehicle designed to navigate the diverse Arctic landscape. It uses one or more pairs of helical drives (Archimedes’ screws) for movement, offering Screw (moving longitudinally) and Crab-crawl (moving laterally) locomotion for traveling on land. SMART will be able to explore extreme terrains such as icy landscapes, deep water, or remote Arctic regions, and collect data and perform tasks without risking human lives. As space exploration starts to become a larger priority, it is important to be able to develop rovers and robots that can traverse on the surface of planets and moons. SMART’s adaptability makes it suitable for extraplanetary exploration particularly on the diverse Martian terrain and on the icy crust and oceans located under the surface on Europa. The robot can also aid in monitoring natural resources in remote areas. The prototype was first modeled on Fusion360, a CAD software, and went through multiple iterations where different screw models and blade heights were used to determine the optimal dimensions. To analyze the stability, the RPM values (Revolutions per Minute) are collected to see which motor speed is more desirable on different terrains in terms of robot functionality, adaptability, and efficiency.