Recovering elastic energy in a single-legged hopping robot

Abstract

Robots that mimic animal locomotion may be improved by the addition of compliant parts. A proposed metric for the importance of compliance in an animal gait is Ek/Ein, the ratio of the systems peak kinetic energy to the energy input into it over one gait cycle. In this project, I create an analytical model of a hopping robot and a corresponding physical prototype that will serve as an experimental platform to investigate the relationship between Ek /Ein, and jump performance. Select runs of the simulation show a positive relationship between Ek/Ein and the jump height. Qualitative observation of the physical model shows that compliant parts are able to aid in performing a successful jump.