The authors have developed test beds heated green roofs in New York City and geothermal heated gardens in Iceland using waste heat. A thermoelectric generator developed by the authors for these gardens currently provides more than 6 watts of steady state power. This sustainable power source is independent from the grid and is used for web cameras. The test beds need a mobile, web-accessible robot platform for additional monitoring that is battery-charged by the thermoelectric generator. This robot’s power consumption must match the constraints of the thermoelectric generator’s output.
This paper presents the design and construction of a low-power walking quadruped robotic platform with a specifically designed walking algorithm. The robot will eventually provide the needed web accessible remote monitoring and maintenance capabilities for the test beds. Remote supervision and control of multiple heated green roofs and heated gardens will be possible from a central location.
