South Korea has unveiled a breakthrough in robotics with its innovative "morphing" wheel technology.

Created by engineers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), this wheel can shift its orientation while it is in motion and become a wheel and a triangular track. This assures better manoeuvrability over rough terrain, which may significantly change the nature of robotic operations in rugged terrains.

Wheel design in combination with transformation makes it possible for robots to transition between surfaces. It’s smooth when rolling on spiked strips and turns into a circular shape for rolling, but when facing an irregular surface, it becomes a triangular track for better grip and balance. This innovation makes the most sense for robots designed for search-and-rescue operations, operating in industries where requiring some specificity entails obstacles, and operating in off-road situations like desert or mountainous regions.

Results—the capacity to switch to rolling and gripping modes in a moment makes it an interesting product for autonomous vehicles and robotics, where flexibility is the key. Uniquely suitable for Outerbos vehicles since they will run on terrain unlike traditional wheels or continuous tracks, which can only function in some capacities, and it eliminates track area limitations in versatility, reduces energy consumption, speeds up the motion, and guarantees stability.

According to Dr. Jaeho Kim of KIMM, the morphing wheel could lead to dramatic innovation in areas such as mobile robotics and autonomous systems.

He went out on a limb to say that this could not only augment the locomotive skills of robots but also chart new ways in automation and industrial usage of robots, space exploration, as well as military usage of the same.

It puts the country on the map as a robotics innovation hub, evidence of South Korea’s interest in venturing robotics to higher levels. Currently, an experiment at KIMM, the wheel that morphs, has already begun its journey to gaining recognition internationally. Other specialists have found it may be a critical part of future robotics, as it defines new benchmarks of mobility for robots.

The tortoise-like wheel from South Korea may be a breakthrough for the robotic community mainly because it ensures far more nimble, stable, and efficient robots ready to confront various and uncertain terrains.