MonoRollBot: 3-DOF spherical robot with underactuated single compliant actuator design

Liu, Zhiwei and Tafrishi, Seyed Amir ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9829-3144 2025. MonoRollBot: 3-DOF spherical robot with underactuated single compliant actuator design. Presented at: IEEE 8th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), Lausanne, Switzerland, 22-26 April 2026. 2025 IEEE 8th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft). IEEE, 10.1109/robosoft63089.2025.11020911 Item availability restricted.

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 23 August 2025 due to copyright restrictions. Download (6MB)

Abstract

Spherical rolling robots have garnered significant attention in the field of mobile robotics for applications such as inspection and space exploration. Designing underactuated rolling robots poses challenges in achieving multi-directional propulsion with high degrees of freedom while utilizing a limited number of actuators. This paper presents the MonoRollBot, a novel 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) spherical robot that utilizes an underactuated mechanism driven by only a single springmotor system. Unlike conventional spherical robots, MonoRoll-Bot employs a minimalist actuation approach, relying on only one motor and a passive spring to control its locomotion. The robot achieves 3-DOF motion through an innovative coupling of spring dynamics and motor control. In this work, we detail the design of the MonoRollBot and evaluate its motion capabilities through design studies. We also study its locomotion behaviours based on changes in rotating mass and stiffness properties.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	IEEE
ISBN:	979-8-3315-2020-5
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 July 2025
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2025 14:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179194

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item