LOCOMOTION OF IN-PLANE ROBOT WITH CONTINUOUSLY SLIDING FEET

This paper analyzes the in-plane locomotion of a minimally actuated dynamic hexapedal robot with continuously sliding feet. We formulate the fore-aft velocity of the robot as a function of the length of the legs, step angle, actuation frequency and the incline of the surface and compare this model to a nearly-flat experimental robot. The results are in good agreement with the model which shows that the progress of the robot is substantially reduced over slopes. The cost of transport of the robot is lower than other robots of its size.

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