Research on Joint Design and Control of a Mine-Rescue Hexapod Robot Based on Dynamic Torque Compensation

In high-risk environments such as mine rescue, hexapod robots offer a novel solution for the delivery of survival supplies, where their load-bearing capacity directly impacts rescue efficiency and personnel survival rates. To enhance the load capacity of hexapod robots and improve their operational performance in complex terrains, a dynamic torque elastic compensation method based on a lead-screw rope-pulling mechanism is proposed. Through bionic design, an elastic energy storage element (tension spring) is integrated with active motor drive to form a "motor-spring" hybrid actuation joint. The core innovation of this mechanism lies in its use of a motor-driven half lead-screw and gear transmission system to dynamically adjust the preload of the tension spring, thereby varying the auxiliary torque provided to the joint in real time. A simulation platform was built using ADAMS to conduct dynamic analysis on a single leg of the hexapod robot equipped with this compensation mechanism. Simulation results demonstrate that under a 20 kg load, the peak torques of the hip and knee joint motors are reduced by 23.8% and 39.5%, respectively, while the system’s ultimate load capacity is increased by 64.8%. This study provides an effective structural solution for enhancing the load performance of legged robots and lays a theoretical foundation for the optimization of their control strategies.