Efficiency and effectiveness analysis of a new direct drive miniature quadruped robot

Abstract

This paper introduces a new, 50g miniature robot (Figure 1 and attached video) that uses four direct-drive hybrid wheel/legs and has been clocked at speeds exceeding 30 body lengths/s. The lowest recorded cost of transport (defined as total energy to move the robot mass a given distance) is 0.90. We discuss hardware considerations for design of robots at this scale, and the benefits of a direct-drive system over coupled transmissions. We develop a simple simulation model to examine the effects of drive speed and mechanical properties of the legs, and compare the results with experimental data on efficiency and effectiveness of locomotion with various leg designs.