An amphibious robot with a small size may complete the tasks in amphibious and transition environments, such as pipe detection, fishes monitoring, mineral collection, object recovery and so on, which a single propulsion mechanism robot cannot implement. So, the robots that possess the attributes of compact structure, multi-functionality, precise positioning, and attributes of long endurance are of great interest to researchers. A father-son robot system is proposed in this research that is composed of an amphibious spherical father robot and several son robots. The father robot is actuated by a leg-water jet composite propulsion mechanism. By utilizing one composite propulsion mechanism, the father robot can achieve the amphibious motion, which may increase the load capability and reduce the complexities of the mechanism and control system. It can adjust its shape and propulsion mechanism automatically according to the environment. The son robots can implement swimming, walking, rotating, floating/diving, and grasping motions, which are actuated by the smart actuators. The father robot and each son robot are connected by a smart cable, which can be used for communication between the father robot and its son robot. Also, the smart cable can be used to recover the son robot.

amphibious robot  /  bio-inspired microrobot  /  spherical robot  /  father-son robot system