Abstract: A new type of pipeline-shaped wheel-legged lunar exploration robot (PWLER), which comprises of two robot parts, is presented. Each robot part is made up of a pipeline frame, a cylinder-shaped solar battery board, six wheeled legs moving independently, and one exploring sphere. Two robot parts are joined together by one joining shaft and three flexing parts parallel to each other. Each flexing part is made up of a rope, a common screw spring and a motor. The most prominent characteristics of PWLER is its wheeled leg and pipeline structure. PWLER has such particular performances as the abilities to get across an entrenchment with its width less than one third the distance between the front wheel and the rear wheel, to get across a step with its height less than one third the length of a wheeled leg, to keep the pipeline frame horizontal when PWLER is moving on a slope, to enlarge the robotic cubage and to extend the robotic exploration function easily by adding pipelines. Besides, tipover has no effect on PWLER's moving, The simulation experiment for PWLER's tipover indicates that PWLER has good tipover stability.

Key words: Wheeled leg Pipeline Mobile robot Self-recovery Lunar exploration