Edinburgh Napier University

  A lot of issues are faced in the exploration due to complexity of terrain and/or unexpected environment, due to which many places are left unmapped. The aim of this project is to design and develop an amphibious robot which uses webbed duck feet design to walk on different terrains, swim in water, and tackle obstructions in its way. Several robots are presented which can do similar task, with different walking and swimming techniques. These designs are not ideal due to their limited mobility in different terrains, and must be tackled using a single system for water and terrestrial exploration. The designed robot was compact, and had abilities to walk, swim, and detect obstruction as tested by the built prototype. This was done by designing a hinged webbed foot, which shadowed the biological design of a duck. The walking and swimming motion was conceived using the Klann linkage, which converts rotational motion to an animal's gait. The design was sufficient to sustain the load of the robot, and had a flap opening and closing mechanism to swim in water. This design could be used in small scale exploration of caves, to access areas through uneven terrains, and to tackle the presence of water during the exploration.