The Application of Bioinspired Jumping Locomotion Principles to Mobile Robots – Modeling and Analysis

Nature provides various alternative locomotion strategies which could be applied to robotic systems. One such strategy is that of jumping, which enables centimeter to millimeter-scaled insects to traverse highly unstructured environments quickly and efficiently. These insects generate the required high magnitude power through specialized structures which store and rapidly release large amounts of energy. This paper presents an investigation into the morphology of natural jumpers and derives a generalized mathematical model based on them. The model describes mathematically the relationships present in a jumping system which uses a pause-and-leap jumping strategy. The use of springs as energy storage elements for such a jumping system is assessed. The discussion is then further extended to another bioinspired approach that can be applied to a jumping robot: that of gliding using foldable wings. The developed jumping and gliding mobility paradigm is analyzed and its feasibility for mobile robot applications is discussed. INTRODUCTION Robots are presently being developed for many tasks in rugged environments, including search and rescue, exploration, surveillance, and mobile sensor network setup. This requires the development of robotic systems that possess versatile locomotion mechanisms in order to traverse rough and unstructured environments. Typically this is achieved through the use of wheels, tracks, or legs. However there are limitations to the abilities that these locomotion mechanisms possess. For instance the obstacle traversing ability of a wheeled robot is restricted to 1.5 times the wheels’ diameter [1]. Tracked robots are commonly deployed in rugged terrain operations, but to surpass obstacles they require extensions to the chassis like articulated fins [2] or hybridized structures [3]. Still, the height of the obstacle that they can overcome is limited. Similarly the predominantly experimental legged robots face problems in unstructured environments, with prototypes either limited to smoother terrains [4], or moving too slowly to be viable solutions [5]. There is also unresolved control complexities associated with the stability of legged robots, although designs like the Big Dog [6] and the rHex [7] are promising legged prototypes for rough terrain travel. The need for alternative locomotion strategies has led many researchers to look to nature for inspiration. Various innovative designs have been based on concepts found in nature. One such concept is that of jumping, which is used by many animals and insects as a mechanism for rapid locomotion. We will focus on insects that jump, since they most effectively utilize jumping to compensate for their small size while negotiating highly unstructured terrain. Some notable high jumping insects are the locust, grasshopper, flea, and froghopper. These creatures are able to achieve remarkable jumping performance through the development of specialized hind legs and energy storage elements. The hind legs in most jumping insects are longer to provide extra leverage and extended acceleration duration [8]. In addition, these insects have developed energy store-and-release mechanisms, which, though different in morphology, serve the same purpose. These will be discussed in more detail in the following section. Proceedings of the ASME 2011 Dynamic Systems and Control Conference DSCC2011 October 31 November 2, 2011, Arlington, VA, USA 1 Copyright © 2011 by ASME DSCC2011-6108