Development of a Passive Turn Type Skiing Robot with Variable Height Mechanism of Gravitational Center

Abstract

In recent years, sports engineering has become an active area of research. It has produced important contributions of many kinds in the development of sports. Ski turns have been investigated from various viewpoints such as the motion analysis of skiers and ski robots and dynamic simulation. Nevertheless, despite considerable research, the mechanisms of ski turns remain to be completely elucidated. Mechanical models derived using approximate expressions do not, furthermore, match alpine ski turns and results are therefore not reflected concretely. To facilitate theoretical considerations, a passive skiing robot was developed. Influences on ski turns, such as the position of the center-of-gravity, can be examined easily using this robot. In a passive turn type of ski robot, a difference in the turn cycle appeared in a difference in leg height. We noticed the influence of turning in the difference in the center-of-gravity height and appended mechanism to change the height of the legs to a passive turn type of ski robot in order to verify whether turns can be controlled by changing the position of the gravitational center. As described here, we examined ski turn dynamics to help skiers improve their athletic performance.