{
  "abstract": "This study presents EATbot, an environment-adaptive tracked robot featuring an arc-grouser mechanism that continuously modulates grouser protrusion and the resulting ground-contact profile rather than altering the overall track posture. Conventional fixed-profile tracks must compromise grouser geometry because low-profile treads improve flat-ground smoothness, whereas highly protruded grousers improve rough-terrain and stair-edge engagement. To address this fixed-grouser-profile trade-off, the proposed mechanism continuously modulates the protrusion of arc-shaped grousers over the range from a retracted low-profile configuration to a maximum-protrusion high-engagement configuration within a single track module. A kinematic model and virtual-work-based torque formulation were developed to characterize grouser protrusion behavior and load-dependent actuation requirements. The arc-grouser geometry was designed to maximize usable protrusion within chain discretization, internal interference, packaging, and actuator constraints, while a non-collinear structural offset was incorporated to prevent simultaneous dead-center locking during continuous transformation. Stair-climbing tests verified the predicted climbable domain and demonstrated successful ascent up to a maximum equivalent inclination of $$48.85^\\circ$$ . Driving stability experiments showed that the retracted configuration decreased RMS vibration by 5.1% on flat terrain, whereas the maximum-protrusion configuration reduced vibration by 87.9% on rough terrain. Payload transformation tests up to 40 kg further demonstrated practical high-load operation. These results indicate that continuous grouser-profile transformation can mitigate the fixed-profile trade-off between flat-ground smoothness and stair/rough-terrain engagement while preserving the continuous-contact characteristics of tracked locomotion.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University",
    "Feasix AI Co.,Ltd."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hanbom Kim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yongho Kwon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hojoon Seo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jeongmo Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Seungjun Kim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jong-Won Kim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "TaeWon Seo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a1449ynjg4ndh.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41598-026-61685-2",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61685-2",
  "id": "a1449ynjg4ndh",
  "issns": [
    "2045-2322"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61685-2",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "Q"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "R"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2205|Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7169593105",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a1449ynjg4ndh.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:45:57Z",
      "native_id": "7385c1be252d460290530c79294d95aa",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61685-2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "lcc:R",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Environment-adaptive track mechanism with continuously transformable grousers",
  "title_text": "Environment-adaptive track mechanism with continuously transformable grousers",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:45:57Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a1449ynjg4ndh",
  "venue": "Scientific Reports",
  "versions": []
}