Modeling and Experimental Study of Discrete and Continuous Movementsduring Posture Adjustment of a Jumping Robot

Discrete movement and continuous movement of a bio-inspired jumping robot named SEUJumper are investigated. Folding and unfolding based styles of self-righting after falling down during landing are modeled. The locomotion characteristics of these two models are analyzed by simulations. Discrete and continuous styles of steering methods are modeled and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. The self-righting and steering mechanisms are designed and prototypes are fabricated. And the two kinds of self-righting methods and two steering methods of the robot are tested in a flat experimental platform and an uneven grass environment. Experimental results show that all the designed mechanism can be used for self-righting and steering of the robot on flat grounds, while only the unfolding based self-righting method and continuous steering method can be used in uneven environments. It means that the locomotion capability of SEUJumper in outdoor uneven environments can be improved by combining the entire discrete jumping movement with local continuous movement. And the design idea that fully considers cooperation between discrete movement and continuous movement can enhance the applicability of robots in unstructured environments.