This thesis presents the design work for a jump mechanism integrated into ARIES, a spherical robot intended for the exploration of underground cavities on planets such as the Moon or Mars. This thesis contributes to increasing the mobility of ARIES in rough environments, while ensuring its robustness and the ability to mass-produce it for the deployment of multiple units.
The paper begins with a literature review outlining the limitations of spherical robots in rough terrain, and introduces jumping as a secondary means of locomotion. Solutions for the actuation and energy storage of jumping mechanisms are, however, constrained by mass and footprint: major issues for ARIES. Finally, the review presents the methods used to characterize the performance of jumping mechanisms.
The second chapter describes the failure analysis of the original ARIES prototype. Structural, guidance and power transmission problems are identified. A complete revision is proposed to enable the generation of combined movements thanks to the innovative actuation mechanism integrated into ARIES. We achieved these complex movements by compromising on the robot's mass and center of mass, which were respectively increased by 3.5kg and 16.2mm compared with the original prototype.
The third chapter deals with the design of a mechanism adapted to ARIES. The concept is based on a helical cam that converts the rotation of a motor into translation to compress a spring. A model of the mechanism's behavior is presented, along with a test campaign aimed at gaining a better understanding of the mechanism's behavior. The prototype studied, based on the ARIES mass, reaches a maximum jump height of 2.8cm on Earth, or around 17cm in lunar gravity. Finally, the design was validated using the Finite Element Method. 10.
The thesis concludes with a discussion of future improvements and the integration of the jump mechanism into ARIES.
| Date | 7 Aug 2025 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | David St-Onge (Supervisor) & Bruno Belzile (Co-supervisor) |
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Bonnaud, S. (Author),
St-Onge (Supervisor) & Belzile (Co-supervisor),
7 Aug 2025Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Automated Manufacturing Engineering