A differential chassis is a common mobile robot chassis design, where motion control is achieved through the difference in speed between the left and right drive wheels (usually paired with a gimbal or follower wheel to maintain balance). The core principle lies in the use of differential gears or independent motors , which adjust the rotational speed of each side’s wheels to achieve steering, eliminating the need for complex mechanical steering mechanisms (e.g., Ackermann linkage).

This design enables robots to flexibly adjust their heading direction, such as performing zero-radius turns by keeping one side wheels stationary or rotating it in reverse, allowing the robot to spin in place. It is especially well-suited for Outdoor Inspection Robots, Educational and Research Platforms, Industrial and Agricultural Equipment, Logistics.

Our chassis product is built on a modular architecture, designed to meet the demands of logistics, agriculture, special-purpose applications, and education. It provides standardized mechanical interfaces, electrical connection solutions, and open communication protocols, ensuring rapid integration with a wide range of upper-mounted equipment, such as cargo boxes, robotic arms, sensors, and operational tools, to fulfill customized requirements across different sectors.

1. In-Place Turning and Flexible Obstacle Avoidance

Zero-Radius Turning: By controlling the left and right wheels to rotate in opposite directions (one forward, one reverse), the robot can perform on-the-spot rotation , making it easy to maneuver in narrow spaces such as warehouse shelves.

Dynamic Path Adjustment: Direction changes are achieved by simply adjusting the speed difference between the wheels in real time. When integrated with LiDAR or visual navigation systems, the robot can quickly avoid obstacles or correct its trajectory (such as logistics robot detour around an obstacle).

2. Low Cost and High Reliability

No Complex Mechanical Steering Mechanism: Unlike Ackermann-based designs, it eliminates the need for components like trapezoidal linkages and steering knuckles. The system only relies on a differential gear or independent motor control to achieve steering , significantly reducing both failure rates and maintenance costs.

Modular Design: Standardized interfaces for drive units (e.g., hub motors), sensors (e.g., LiDAR, IMU), allows for easy replacement or upgrade of components, such as switching to high-power motors for improved outdoor performance.

3. Preferred Choice for Commercial Deployment

Low Mass Production Cost: Core components (DC motors and differentials) are highly standardized, making them ideal for large-scale manufacturing ( such as AGVs , where cost-efficiency and scalability are critical).

Low Development Barrier: The kinematic model is relatively simple, based on wheel speed differences to calculate position and orientation. This makes it easier to implement control algorithms and significantly shortens the R&D cycle , enabling rapid prototyping and validation (such as using ROS platforms to test SLAM algorithms quickly).

4. Adaptability to Complex Terrains

Automatic Wheel Speed Adjustment: The differential system naturally allows for a difference in left and right wheel speeds, which reduces skidding and maintains traction in low-traction environments such as mud, sand, and snow (e.g., agricultural robotic field operations).

Four-Wheel or Tracked Expansion Options: The chassis can be upgraded to a four-wheel differential or tracked configuration (e.g., exploration robots), enhancing its obstacle-crossing capability (climbing stairs or crossing ditches). Or combined with external modules (such as robotic arms or sensors) , to supports a wide range of mission-specific adaptations.

5. Multi-Scenario Adaptability

Indoor Service Robots: For robotic vacuum cleaners and delivery robots , the differential chassis offers flexible turning capabilities and stable low-speed movement , making it ideal for navigating tight indoor environments like homes, offices, and restaurants.

Industrial Logistics AGVs: The cost-effective differential chassis is well-suited for fixed-path navigation applications, such as warehouse material handling and factory line logistics, where predictable routes and reliable motion control are essential.

Research and Education Platforms: With open CAN bus protocols and modular interfaces , the chassis supports rapid integration of sensors , robotic arms, making it a popular choice for ROS-based teaching platforms and algorithm validation systems.

Specialized Robots: Exploration , rescue , and explosion-proof robots leverage the differential chassis’ superior mobility to perform critical tasks in dangerous environments (such as search and detection in earthquake rubble or hazardous industrial sites).

1. Drive Unit

Drive Wheels:

Two-Wheel Differential: One drive wheel on each side (used in factory inspection robots, small AGVs). Steering is achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the two wheels.

Four-Wheel Differential: Two drive wheels on both front and rear axles (used in power line inspection robots, pipeline inspection robots, agricultural spraying robots), offering improved load capacity and terrain adaptability.

Drive Motors:

Brushed/Brushless DC Motors: Provide driving power with independent control of left and right wheel speeds, commonly used in cost-sensitive applications.

Hub Motors: Directly integrated into the wheel hub (e.g., bird-repelling robots in agriculture), simplifying the transmission system and improving responsiveness.

Gear Reducer: Reduces motor speed while increasing torque output to meet different load requirements. (High-reduction-ratio gearboxes are often used in heavy-duty AGVs for enhanced traction).

2. Differential Mechanism

Mechanical Differential: Traditional gear-based structure, automatically adjusts the speed difference between the left and right wheels (commonly used in agricultural machinery and specialized vehicles).

Advantages: No electronic control required, low cost.

Disadvantages: Unable to actively control torque distribution.

Electronic Differential Control: Achieved through independent motor controllers (e.g., dual-motor drive), enabling dynamic adjustment of left and right wheel speed differences (widely used in robotics).

Advantages: Precise motion control, support for complex algorithms such as MPC (Model Predictive Control) path tracking.

3. Steering and Motion Control

Motion Controller: An embedded system (such as a microcontroller or ROS-based main controller) runs a differential kinematic model to convert target velocity and steering commands into individual left and right wheel speeds. It supports control algorithms like PID and MPC to improve trajectory tracking accuracy.

CAN Bus / Serial Communication: Connect drive motor, sensors and main controller, facilitates real-time data exchange (such as feedback of wheel speed and execution of control commands), ensuring coordinated and responsive movement.

4. Sensor System

Encoder: Mounted on the drive motors, it provides real-time feedback on wheel speed and rotation angle , used for closed-loop control for precise motion.

IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit): Measures the robot’s attitude (e.g., tilt angle, angular velocity), helping to compensate for motion drift and improve stability during movement.

LiDAR / Vision Sensors: Used for external environment perception , integrated with the differential system to achieve autonomous navigation , obstacle detection.

5. Power Supply and Energy Management

Battery Pack: Lithium-ion batteries , lead-acid batteries or supercapacitors , tailored to meet different runtime and range requirements.

Battery Management System (BMS): Monitors voltage , current , and temperature in real time to optimize charging/discharging efficiency , enhance safety , and extend battery lifespan. 

Energy Distribution Module: Dynamically adjust the power consumption of drivers, computing units, and external devices, to ensure efficient energy utilization and stable operation .

6. Chassis Structure

Frame: Constructed from aluminum alloy , carbon fiber or plastic, the chassis provides structural support for the drive units , electronics , and upper modules (e.g., cargo boxes, robotic arms).

Support Wheels / Omni-Wheels: Mounted at the front, rear or sides to provide stability and reduce friction during movement. 

7. Expansion Interfaces

Mechanical Mounting Holes: Standardized hole spacing design allows easy installation of external modules such as cargo racks , robotic arm bases.

Peripheral Communication Interfaces: Includes RS485, Ethernet and GPIO, ensuring compatibility with LiDAR, cameras and IMUs.

Software Development Kit (SDK): Provides motion control APIs, CAN protocol parsing libraries, and tools for ROS system integration, significantly lowering the development barrier for customization and advanced applications.

Our chassis product line is designed to meet full-spectrum scenario requirements, ranging from household service robots to industrial and specialized applications. Through modular design, standardized interfaces, and an open ecosystem, it enables efficient integration with a wide variety of upper-mounted equipment, helping customers accelerate deployment, reduce development costs, and lower maintenance complexity.

Whether it's Cargo Box Integration for logistics AGVs, Spraying Devices for agricultural robots or Sensor Expansion on research platforms, We offer tailored solutions that adapt flexibly to your specific application needs.