Foot Design for a Large Walking Delta Robot

A large Delta robot has been modified to pick up and place a triangular shaped foot. The robot pushes the foot down to lift the body and the three associated fixed support legs. It then moves the foot sideways so that the body moves in the opposite direction to a new position where the fixed legs are lowered to the ground and the foot lifted ready for a new placement. In this way the robot is able to move in any direction with a tripod gait. The use of a combined foot and gripper for moving heavy objects is investigated. In the implementation reported, the gearboxes used are found to limit the operation and spring assistance is investigated as a trade off with payload. The small prototype, stands as tall as a person, weighs a third of a ton, and has a payload capability of near 100%. It is envisaged as a prototype for a much larger walking robot capable of general-purpose heavy lifting.