4 accepted papers
Human performers have developed impressive acrobatic techniques over thousands of years of practicing the gymnastic arts. At the same time, robots have started to become more mobile and autonomous, and can begin to imitate these stunts in dramatic and informative ways. We present a simple two degree…
As agile robots learn to run and hop, we believe they will soon also perform large jumps and spins that require graceful landing. To land properly, they will need to be aware of their relative body orientation during free fall and make appropriate adjustments. In this paper, we examine the sensing a…
To minimize weight and cost, it is sometimes desirable to power multiple functions with a single actuator. In this letter, we present a new mechanism for powering two degrees of freedom with a single motor. We introduce a method, termed dynamic response switching (DRS), in which the actuator can dri
Perching on a vertical surface carries the risk of severe damage to the vehicle if the maneuver fails, especially if failure goes undetected. We present a detection method using an onboard 3-axis accelerometer to discriminate between perching success and failure. An analytical model was developed to…