Machines (Apr 2022)

Simulation of the Landing Buffer of a Three-Legged Jumping Robot

  • Yilin Yan,
  • Katharine Smith,
  • Alejandro Macario-Rojas,
  • Hongbo Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10050299
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 5
p. 299

Abstract

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In recent years, the research of planetary exploration robots has become an active field. The jumping robot has become a hot spot in this field. This paper presents a work modelling and simulating a three-legged jumping robot, which has a powerful force, high leaping performance, and good flexibility. In particular, the jumping of the robot was simulated and the landing buffer of the robot was analyzed. Because this jumping robot lacks landing buffer, this paper verifies a method of absorbing landing kinetic energy to improve landing stability and storing it as the energy for the next jump in the simulation. Through the landing simulation, the factors affecting the landing energy absorption are identified. Moreover, the simulation experiment verifies that the application of the intermediate axis theorem helps to absorb more energy and adjust the landing attitude of the robot. The simulation results in this paper can be applied to the optimal design of robot prototypes and provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research.

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