robotics
The Swamp Robot Changes the Shape of Its Wheels
MOSS contracts for firm ground and expands for wet mud, sand and water, morphing in about two seconds while still moving.
Summary
MOSS contracts for firm ground and expands for wet mud, sand and water, morphing in about two seconds while still moving.
A fixed wheel asks one geometry to handle soil, mud and water. MOSS uses 3D-printed origami wheels and a compact crank that changes width, diameter and fin orientation together. In tests across soil, sand, mud and water, the efficient configuration depended on terrain: contracted wheels cost less energy on firmer surfaces, while expanded wheels performed better in wetter mud, sand and water, reducing cost of transport by as much as 29 percent. Expansion also reduced slip and sand sinkage, and the platform crossed soil-mud-water transitions continuously. The compact prototype does not prove field durability at scale, but it demonstrates that mechanical morphology can be a controllable locomotion variable rather than a fixed design choice.
Why it matters
MOSS contracts for firm ground and expands for wet mud, sand and water, morphing in about two seconds while still moving.
Limits and context
- The compact prototype does not prove field durability at scale, but it demonstrates that mechanical morphology can be a controllable locomotion variable rather than a fixed design choice.
Key claims
MOSS contracts for firm ground and expands for wet mud, sand and water, morphing in about two seconds while still moving.
Qualification: The compact prototype does not prove field durability at scale, but it demonstrates that mechanical morphology can be a controllable locomotion variable rather than a fixed design choice.
Evidence: source-2026-10-19-007
Sources
- arXiv preprint 2610.23813, original v1arXiv · primary research
Corrections
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