A design method for multijoint explosive-proof manipulators by two motors

With the increase of accidents and disasters occurring in the explosive environment, search-and-rescue activities are more and more essential. At present, explosive-proof robots can be designed for detection in the explosive environment. However, most robots only detect parameters of disaster scenes, and cannot go forward when they are blocked by obstacles. So, manipulators are needed in order for robots to finish search-and-rescue missions. However, few robots can meet these requirements, because it is difficult to design an explosive-proof manipulator. This paper introduces a method used for designing manipulators which can work in the explosive environment. The manipulator adopted in this design method can drive more than three joints, and only uses two motors. One motor is used to supply power for driving joints and the other is used for switching the power among joints. Both of them can be separated with a manipulator and mounted on a robot chassis with an explosive-proof box. In this way, the load capacity and explosion-proof security of manipulators can be improved. The development of this design method can provide a reference for designers to develop future search-and-rescue robots in explosive environments.