EFFECT OF INERTIAL TAIL ON YAW RATE OF 45 GRAM LEGGED ROBOT

Small legged robots have unique potential for widespread application in search and rescue, hazardous exploration, battlefield reconnaissance, and almost any remote, inaccessible or dangerous situation not reachable by humans. Dynamic running robots have used a variety of steering means, including differential velocity drive [1][2] and actively changing leg kinematics [3][4]. Previous robots have also used tails for various functions, such as turning in an aquatic environment [5], active pitch control [6][7], or stabilization during climbing [8]. The robot discussed here uses a tail to produce a turn on rough or flat ground. This paper examines the way in which this is done, through the use of angular momentum exchange and internal impacts that generate a turning impulse.