Highly mobile robot for remote inspection

Abstract

A robotic vehicle can include a plurality of motors coupled to a plurality of gearboxes, each gearbox of the plurality of gearboxes configured to be rotated, a plurality of nested driveshafts coupled to the plurality of gearboxes and including at least a first driveshaft and a second driveshaft, and a plurality of appendages operably coupled to the plurality of gearboxes. A particular appendage of the plurality of appendages can be configured to be rotated in response to a rotational motion of the first driveshaft. The robotic vehicle can include a plurality of wheels coupled to the plurality of appendages and configured to rotate about a plurality of wheel axles. Each wheel of the plurality of wheels can be configured to cause the robotic vehicle to be transported across a contacting surface in response to the rotational motion of the second driveshaft.