Articles | Volume 3, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-3-49-2012
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-3-49-2012
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Review article
| 
12 Jul 2012
Review article |
| 12 Jul 2012
Review article: locomotion systems for ground mobile robots in unstructured environments
L. Bruzzone
University of Genoa, DIME, Via Opera Pia 15A, 16145 Genoa, Italy
G. Quaglia
Politecnico di Torino, DIMEAS, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129 Turin, Italy
Viewed
Total article views: 54,000 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 01 Feb 2013)
| HTML | XML | Total | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48,551 | 5,232 | 217 | 54,000 | 240 | 245 |
- HTML: 48,551
- PDF: 5,232
- XML: 217
- Total: 54,000
- BibTeX: 240
- EndNote: 245
Cited
140 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Trends in the Control of Hexapod Robots: A Survey J. Coelho et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics10030100
- Long life structural health monitoring of selected bridges L. Figuli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.133
- Porcospino Flex: A Bio-Inspired Single-Track Robot with a 3D-Printed, Flexible, Compliant Vertebral Column S. Nodehi et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13050076
- Wheeled hopping robot with combustion-powered actuator Z. Miao et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881417745608
- Design and kinematics analysis of coordinated variable wheel-track walking mechanism L. Zang et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881420930577
- A Portable Six-Wheeled Mobile Robot With Reconfigurable Body and Self-Adaptable Obstacle-Climbing Mechanisms Z. Song et al. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4053529
- An analysis of the rolling dynamics of a hexapod robot using a three-dimensional rolling template I. Chang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-022-07481-9
- Whole-Body Control with Uneven Terrain Adaptability Strategy for Wheeled-Bipedal Robots B. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14010198
- Design and development of rover with pick and place Mechanism D. Jadhav et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2601/1/012007
- Variable-stiffness–morphing wheel inspired by the surface tension of a liquid droplet J. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.adl2067
- Performance Analysis of Low-Cost Tracking System for Mobile Robots A. Botta & G. Quaglia https://doi.org/10.3390/machines8020029
- A review of Li-ion batteries for autonomous mobile robots: Perspectives and outlook for the future D. McNulty et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.231943
- Mechatronic design and development of a non-holonomic omnidirectional mobile robot for automation of primary production M. Sharifi et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2016.1250431
- Kinetostatic analysis for compliant legged robots with ground contact forces evaluation C. Tonetto & H. Simas https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-022-01555-z
- Functional Redesign of Mantis 2.0, a Hybrid Leg-Wheel Robot for Surveillance and Inspection L. Bruzzone & P. Fanghella https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-015-0240-0
- Design, analysis and experiment of an eight-wheel robotic vehicle with four-swing arms M. He et al. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-12-2018-0260
- The Conceptual Synthesis and Development of a Multifunctional Lawnmower C. Kang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/inventions6020038
- State of the art and future trends in obstacle-surmounting unmanned ground vehicle configuration and dynamics M. He et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574723000577
- Mobile Robotics in Agricultural Operations: A Narrative Review on Planning Aspects V. Moysiadis et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103453
- Passenger rover model in Matlab-SimMechanics environment S. Pecolt et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2022.09.192
- Robust Tube-Based Model Predictive Control for Docking Process Self-Balancing Control of a Reconfigurable Unmanned Ground Vehicle C. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TASE.2026.3654162
- Autonomous stairs climbing carrier cart for enhanced accessibility V. Nondabula et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202541704017
- Untethered Robotic Millipede Driven by Low-Pressure Microfluidic Actuators for Multi-Terrain Exploration Q. Shao et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2022.3213137
- Rocker-Bogie Stair Climbing Robot A. Choudhari et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2251/1/012004
- Stability Analysis of a Wheel-Track-Leg Hybrid Mobile Robot Y. Zhu et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-017-0724-1
- Design and locomotion analysis of an arm-wheel-track multimodal mobile robot H. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11370-023-00472-8
- Design and obstacle-crossing analysis of a four-link rocker-suspension planetary exploration robot Z. Song et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-15-137-2024
- Contemporary research trends in response robotics M. Dadvar & S. Habibian https://doi.org/10.1186/s40648-022-00221-z
- Type synthesis of a family of novel parallel leg mechanisms driven by a 3-DOF drive system L. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2021.104572
- Agricultural robot for small farms C. Morar et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/997/1/012082
- C-Legged Hexapod Robot Design Guidelines Based on Energy Analysis A. Vina & A. Barrientos https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062513
- Bionics-based Optimization of Step-climbing Gait in a Novel Mini-RHex Robot X. Song et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-022-00160-w
- Nonlinear Oscillator-Based Gait Generation for a Novel Aero-Terrestrial Bioinspired Robotic System C. Sánchez-Delgado et al. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4047269
- RWD-DOF: a dual-degree-of-freedom reconfigurable wheel design for improved robotic mobility Y. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98239-x
- Design and Analysis of Tracked Stair-Climbing Robot Using Innovative Suspension System A. Pappalettera et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13030045
- A new concept of contact joint to model the geometric foot-environment contacts for efficiently determining possible stances for legged robots Y. Hu & W. Guo https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2021.104327
- Design of a self-leveling cam mechanism for a stair climbing wheelchair G. Quaglia & M. Nisi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2017.02.003
- A review of mobile robots: Concepts, methods, theoretical framework, and applications F. Rubio et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881419839596
- Lateral Stability of a Mobile Robot Utilizing an Active Adjustable Suspension H. Jiang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9204410
- Three-dimensional construction and omni-directional rolling analysis of a novel frame-like lattice modular robot W. Ding et al. https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2015.0316.059
- A study on the alignment angle of the lugs for the lunar rover’s crawler mechanism and its mobility performance K. MAEDA & K. TSUJITA https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.25-00294
- Design and terrainability analysis of a novel mobile robot with variable-diameter wheels F. Gao et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/793/1/012021
- Design and Experimentation of Tensegrity Jumping Robots G. Tang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093947
- Maneuvering on non-Newtonian fluidic terrain: a survey of animal and bio-inspired robot locomotion techniques on soft yielding grounds S. Godon et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2023.1113881
- Kinematic Analysis and Application to Control Logic Development for RHex Robot Locomotion P. Burzyński et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051636
- Development of Topologically Optimized Mobile Robotic System with Machine Learning-Based Energy-Efficient Path Planning Structure H. Sucuoglu https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13080638
- Mobile robot localization: Current challenges and future prospective I. Ullah et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosrev.2024.100651
- Analysis of MR–VR tele-operation methods for legged-manipulator robots C. Cruz Ulloa et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01021-z
- Hexapod guidance and control for autonomous waypoint navigation over uneven terrain S. Erasmus et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202237005005
- Trajectory-Level Design-Space Exploration and Performance Mapping of a 1-DoF Transformable Wheel for Obstacle Climbing J. Lee et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3667599
- Functional Design of a Hybrid Leg-Wheel-Track Ground Mobile Robot L. Bruzzone et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9010010
- Gait optimization of step climbing for a hexapod robot X. Song et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.22037
- Design and analysis of a multi-mode mobile robot based on a parallel mechanism with branch variation Y. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2018.07.018
- Mathematical modelling of a search and rescue robot with TriSTAR locomotion units M. Gyarmati & M. Tătar https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/997/1/012077
- Design and NMPC-based position control of a pneumatically propelled exploration robot D. Shin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechatronics.2026.103492
- Design and Implementation of a Mobile Robot With Variable-Diameter Wheels G. Moger & H. Varol https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2024.3457011
- Foldable Soft Leg‐Assisted Wheel Robot S. Yoo et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202512435
- Design and analysis of a size-tunable tetrahedron rolling mechanism based on deployable RRR chains S. Hu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2023.105284
- Research on the step-climbing performance of a multi-constraint quadrilateral suspension rover based on the λ chain mechanism F. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-019-2086-z
- A reconfigurable multi-mode walking-rolling robot based on motor time-sharing control X. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-05-2019-0106
- Energy Consumption Analysis of a Rolling Mechanism Based on a Five-Bow-Shaped-Bar Linkage L. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app122111164
- Design, Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of a Gas-Fuel-Powered Actuator for Robotic Hoppers H. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2014.2373354
- Robotic Technologies for High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping: Contemporary Reviews and Future Perspectives A. Atefi et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.611940
- A multi-locomotion clustered tensegrity mobile robot with fewer actuators Q. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2023.104504
- Tracked Locomotion Systems for Ground Mobile Robots: A Review L. Bruzzone et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10080648
- UAV Platforms for Data Acquisition and Intervention Practices in Forestry: Towards More Intelligent Applications H. Sun et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030317
- Motion Sensing Study on a Mobile Robot Through Simulation Model and Experimental Tests P. Malfi et al. https://doi.org/10.37394/232011.2022.17.11
- Comparison of Multi-Tracked Running Gears in Terms of Obstacle Negotiation Capabilities D. Szpaczyńska et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041696
- Preliminary Design and Testing of Brush.Q: An Articulated Ground Mobile Robot with Compliant Brush-like Wheels L. Toccaceli et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics15010003
- Dynamic research and analysis for a wheel-legged harvester chassis during tilting process Z. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1687814019855453
- Design and analysis for a multifunctional rescue robot with four-bar wheel-legged structure M. Ning et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1687814017747399
- Design and analysis of a bionic adhesion coring sampler for space unstructured surface Q. Cheng et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.11.048
- A review of the large-scale application of autonomous mobility of agricultural platform X. Ren et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.107628
- Flexibility and Granular Terrain Adaptability of a Linkage-Based Wheel-Legged Robot: LinkWheg J. Ma et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2025.3566586
- Design and testing of double-wishbone suspension for enhanced outdoor maneuver stability of a six-wheeled mobile robot H. Park et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechatronics.2024.103237
- Design and Analysis of Steering and Lifting Mechanisms for Forestry Vehicle Chassis W. Li & F. Kang https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5971746
- A mechatronic system for automated topping and suckering of tobacco plants I. Gravalos et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2019.104986
- Mantis: hybrid leg-wheel ground mobile robot L. Bruzzone & P. Fanghella https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-02-2013-330
- Porcospino, spined single-track mobile robot for inspection of narrow spaces S. Nodehi et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574723001108
- Design and analysis of a six-wheeled companion robot with mechanical obstacle-overcoming adaptivity Z. Song et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-12-1115-2021
- Design and locomotion analysis of a novel deformable mobile robot with worm-like, self-crossing and rolling motion Y. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574714002689
- Development of Wheel-Legged Biped Robots: A Review X. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-023-00468-1
- System Modelling of Rocker-Bogie Mechanism for Disaster Relief S. Toha & Z. Zainol https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.12.349
- Stability Analysis of Electric Unmanned Non-Road Vehicles Containing Intelligent Variable-Diameter Wheels X. Wu et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj17040200
- Path to autonomous soil sampling and analysis by ground-based robots J. Norby et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121130
- HAVEN: Haptic And Visual Environment Navigation by a Shape-Changing Mobile Robot with Multimodal Perception B. Mulvey & T. Nanayakkara https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75607-7
- Design and Analysis of a Multimode Sarrus-Derived Mechanism for Enhancing Robot Adaptability X. Tan et al. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4071441
- An Agile 3 cm‐Scale Quadruped Piezoelectric Robot with a Rigid Ring‐Shaped Structure J. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202422499
- SensHB.Q: A Cost‐Effective Force‐Sensitive Handlebar to Control Omnidirectional Robots and Wheelchairs L. Tagliavini & G. Quaglia https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.70104
- Design and kinematic modeling of a passively-actively transformable mobile robot H. Jiang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2019.103591
- Analysis of an all-terrain tracked robot with innovative suspension system A. Ugenti et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2023.105237
- Mechanics of bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion on dry and wet granular media H. Bagheri et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.22121
- Complex Three-Dimensional Terrains Traversal of Insect-Scale Soft Robot Y. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2022.0073
- RICA: A Tracked Robot for Sampling and Radiological Characterization in the Nuclear Field C. Ducros et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.21650
- Watch the Next Step: A Comprehensive Survey of Stair-Climbing Vehicles A. Pappalettera et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics12030074
- A reconfigurable multi-mode mobile parallel robot Y. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2017.01.003
- A Survey of Off-Road Mobile Robots: Slippage Estimation, Robot Control, and Sensing Technology M. Teji et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-023-01968-2
- An Estimator for the Kinematic Behaviour of a Mobile Robot Subject to Large Lateral Slip A. Botta et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041594
- Optimum Design and Trafficability Analysis for an Articulated Wheel-Legged Forestry Chassis Z. Sun et al. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4051539
- A Schatz-based omnidirectional mobile mechanism with Oloid-like paddlewheels J. Tang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2023.105434
- A transformable wheel-legged mobile robot: Design, analysis and experiment T. Sun et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2017.09.008
- Soft Fluidic Actuator for Locomotion in Multi-Phase Environments R. Gkliva & M. Kruusmaa https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2022.3192204
- A transformable wheel-spoke-paddle hybrid amphibious robot Y. Ge et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574723001716
- Irradiation test and hardness design for mobile rescue robot in nuclear environment W. Gao et al. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-01-2019-0010
- TraQuad: A Modular Tracked Legged Multimodal Quadrupedal Robot A. Ranjan et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2025.3560078
- Four‐Wheeled Mobile Robot With Flexible Posture Control T. Lan & G. Yang https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.22450
- Studies on mobile robots for all types of terrain R. Pecie et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/202134308015
- Design and evaluation of a new exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation I. Geonea & D. Tarnita https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-8-307-2017
- Walking in Mud: Modeling, Control, and Experiments of Quadruped Locomotion S. Godon et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2025.3560588
- Experimental Performance Assessment of Mantis 2, Hybrid Leg-Wheel Mobile Robot L. Bruzzone et al. https://doi.org/10.20965/ijat.2017.p0396
- Implementation of in-row weeding robot with novel wheel, assembly and wheel angle adjustment for slurry paddy field G. Murugaraj et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.06.118
- Trajectory Optimization for Wheeled-Legged Quadrupedal Robots Driving in Challenging Terrain V. Medeiros et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2020.2990720
- Multi-mode mobile mechanism based on anti-parallelogram and parallelogram mechanisms X. Sun et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13169-y
- FUHAR: A transformable wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot İ. Mertyüz et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2020.103627
- A Hierarchical Perception-Action Framework for Adaptive Legged Locomotion in Unstructured Environments A. Maoudj et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3689095
- The running gear construction impact on overcoming obstacles by light high-mobility tracked UGV D. Szpaczyńska et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2023.11.003
- Design and Development of an Autonomous Rover Application using A Rocker-Bogie Mechanism In Agriculture . Rutvik Sandbhor et al. https://doi.org/10.48175/IJARSCT-18487
- An Insight on Mud Behavior Upon Stepping S. Godon et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2022.3194667
- Design of a special rigid wheel for traversing loose soil M. Elsheikh https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-27312-6
- Directionally Compliant Legs Enabling Crevasse Traversal in Small Ground‐Based Robots E. Lathrop et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202200258
- Kinematic analysis of the R subfamily of the HeIse wheels H. Avalos et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954406220912005
- A reconfigurable hybrid wheel-track mobile robot based on Watt II six-bar linkage Z. Luo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2018.04.020
- Design optimization of a lightweight rocker–bogie rover for ocean worlds applications H. Nayar et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881419885696
- WheTLHLoc 4W: Small‐scale inspection ground mobile robot with two tracks, two rotating legs, and four wheels L. Bruzzone et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.22314
- Step rolling planning of a six-legged robot with 1-DOF waist for slope climbing Y. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9216-x
- An online gait generator for quadruped walking using motor primitives C. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881416657960
- Designing Legged Wheels for Stair Climbing J. Ordoñez-Avila et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15112071
- Development of a robust mobile robot for volcano monitoring application M. Evita et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1572/1/012016
- Planar locomotion of earthworm-like metameric robots X. Zhan et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/0278364919881687
- Bio-Inspired Robotic Solutions for Landslide Monitoring L. Patané https://doi.org/10.3390/en12071256
- Review of unmanned ground vehicles for PV plant inspection B. Figgis et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2025.113404
- Tracked robot with underactuated tension-driven RRP transformable mechanism: ideas and design R. Xu & C. Liu https://doi.org/10.1007/s11465-023-0777-8
- Commercial Hoverboard Reverse Engineering and Repurposing for a Stabilized Platform: A Recyclable Solution for Modular Robotic Bases A. Leblanc et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25123833
- Dynamic Simulation of an Electric Stair-Climbing Wheelchair G. Quaglia et al. https://doi.org/10.20965/ijat.2017.p0472
- Mechanism Design and Experiment of a Bionic Turtle Dredging Robot T. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9050086
- Design and analysis of a deployable tetrahedron-based mobile robot constructed by Sarrus linkages R. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2020.103964
- Multi-scopic neuro-cognitive adaptation for legged locomotion robots A. Saputra et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19599-2
- Implementation of a Reconfigurable Robot to Achieve Multimodal Locomotion Based on Three Rules of Configuration F. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574719001589
- Design and development of an Inspection Robotic System for indoor applications P. Rea & E. Ottaviano https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2017.06.005
- Locomotion unit for mobile robots M. Tătar & M. Gyarmati https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/444/5/052024
Latest update: 24 Jun 2026
