Pneupard: A biomimetic musculoskeletal approach for a feline-inspired quadruped robot

Abstract

Feline locomotion combines great acrobatic proficiency, unparalleled balance and higher accelerations than other animals. Capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km h <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-1</sup> in three seconds, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is still a mystery which intrigues scientists. Aiming for a better understanding of the source of such higher speeds, we develop a biomimetic platform, where musculoskeletal parameters (range of motion and moment arms) from the biological system can be evaluated with air muscles within a lightweight robotic structure. We performed experiments validating the muscular structure during a treadmill walk, successfully reproducing animal locomotion while adopting an EMG based control method.