Biomechanics and biorobotics of foot-substrate interactions in jumping locomotion

Robots are an effective option for exploring extra-terrestrial bodies. Wheeled rovers have travelled over smooth lunar and Martian landscapes. And jumping robots have been developed to overcome more complex topographies with obstacles.

However, existing jumping robots have been designed to operate primarily on rigid surfaces, such as rocks and cave floors.

Soft lunar sediment presents an enormous challenge for maintaining stability and energy efficiency during robot jumping.

By contrast, soft-sediment hopping has evolved numerous times in vertebrates and offers enormous potential for bioinspired solutions.

The project aims to develop versatile jumping robots capable of commuting on soft and hard uneven surfaces by examining the dynamics of dessert rodents.

It will involve engineering experiments and computational models of foot-substrate interactions of soft-sediment jumping, while integrating biological data on foot morphology and jumping kinematics.

These combined approaches will provide new understanding of the mechanics and stability of jumping motion on granular substrates.