Bio-inspired design and dynamic maneuverability of a minimally actuated six-legged robot

Abstract

Rapidly running arthropods like cockroaches make use of passive dynamics to achieve remarkable locomotion performance with regard to stability, speed, and maneuverability. In this work, we take inspiration from these organisms to design, fabricate, and control a 10cm, 24 gram underactuated hexapedal robot capable of running at 14 body lengths per second and performing dynamic turning maneuvers. Our design relies on parallel kinematic mechanisms fabricated using the scaled smart composite microstructures (SCM) process and viscoelastic polymer legs with tunable stiffness. In addition to the novel robot design, we present experimental validation of the lateral leg spring (LLS) locomotion model's prediction that dynamic turning can be achieved by modulating leg stiffness. Finally, we present and validate a leg design for active stiffness control using shape memory alloy and demonstrate the ability of the robot to execute near-gymnastic 90 • turns in the span of five strides.

Cockroaches traverse crevices, crawl rapidly in confined spaces, and inspire a soft, legged robot

“…5 C and D, Movie S4, and Supporting Information). The design of the robot is realized using the SCM manufacturing technique (44)(45)(46).…”

Biomechanics of aerial righting in wingless nymphal stick insects

“…Moreover, multi-legged land robots (e.g. an insect-sized hexapedal robot [37]) could use aerial righting for mid-air recovery after falling from heights. For either winged or legged robots, a mix of aerodynamic and inertial effects may be used to optimize recovery strategies in a variety of adverse circumstances.…”

Design and Dynamics Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Intermittent Hopping Robot for Planetary Surface Exploration

“…However, as the hopping period is extremely short and the hopping motion needs to be actuated by an instantaneous explosive force, hopping robots which are mechanically equipped with a multi-DOF structure and multi-actuators are unlikely to be implemented due to difficulties involving its control and its multi-actuators [7]. As such, the exploration of an efficient hopping mechanism and driving mode for the implementation of small, solar-powered, minimallyactuated, intermittent and bio-inspired hopping robots, based on the physical structure and locomotion of jumping animals, becomes the focus in the field [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

“…Since intermittent hopping robots can jump, upright themselves after landing and then jump again, without the need for the real-time identification of environments and complex dynamic control [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], its hopping performance mainly depends on the dynamics of takeoff. However, most of the earlier works consist of a static analysis of the hopping mechanisms' driving characteristics, which ignores the masses of linkages [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] or else dynamics analysis by simplifying the hopping mechanisms as nonlinear spring-mass models [17][18][19]. These simplified dynamics models and their analysis have not yet involved consideration of multi-body dynamics, which are unable to reveal the practical hopping characteristics of combined spring/linkages hopping mechanisms, such that they are inapplicable to the motion prediction and performance analysis of intermittent hopping robots.…”