Systems

Mini DuAxel is a 1:3 scale mobility testbed of DuAxel, able to move with the same degrees of freedom and range of motion on each joint. DuAxel is an extreme terrain mobility platform capable of separating either Axel that, in turn, rappel down steep slopes. However, unlike its larger counterpart, Mini DuAxel’s small form factor enables it to be used for testing in controlled environments.

Kinematic Twin

• Mini DuAxel implements the same five degrees of freedom seen on DuAxel: two body-pitch joints (expanding and contracting the wheel-base between the front and rear wheels), two yaw joints (allowing the Axels to steer), and one roll joint (allowing the front Axel to overcome asymmetric obstacles).

Small Form Factor

• With a mass of 8 kg, a width of 80 cm, and a maximum wheel base of 1 m, on-lab experiments can be run with a single operator in controlled testing environments.

Steep Terrain Traversal

• Mini DuAxel is designed for testing mobility on steep terrain with gradients up to 30°.

POCs:

Matthew Suntup (3471), matthew.suntup@jpl.nasa.gov
Issa Nesnas (3471), issa.a.nesnas@jpl.nasa.gov