Stable and Fast Planar Jumping Control Design for a Compliant One-Legged Robot

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Control Systems Engineering
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Compliant robots offer impact resistance and energy efficiency but pose control challenges.
• Stable control is crucial for realizing the full potential of compliant robotic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved control strategy for stable and fast planar jumping in a compliant one-legged robot.
• To address challenges in controlling compliant robots by enhancing stability and speed.

Main Methods:

• Modeled the robot using an extended spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model with non-negligible inertia and damping.
• Implemented a foot placement method with a variable time coefficient and integral term for forward speed tracking.
• Utilized an energy-based leg rest length regulation with an integral term for precise jumping height control.

Main Results:

• Validated the proposed control strategy through numerical simulations.
• Achieved stable and fast planar jumping for the compliant one-legged robot.
• Demonstrated accurate tracking of desired forward speed and jumping height.

Conclusions:

• The developed control strategy effectively enables stable and fast jumping in compliant one-legged robots.
• The strategy shows robustness against disturbances and uneven terrain.
• This work advances the control of compliant robotic locomotion.