Elastic skeleton helps robots make giant leaps
Robot Tumro can jump 40 times as high as it is tall. The jumping energy comes from an elastic skeleton.
Tumro in a tense state: The energy for jumping is contained in the elastic skeleton.
(Image: Hohai University (Screenshot))
Scientists at Hohai University in China have developed a jumping robot called Tumro, which derives its jumping power from an elastic skeleton made of carbon fiber and epoxy resin. The energy storage mechanism is similar to that of jumping beetles, such as weevils or flea beetles, which can jump very effectively. Tumro can also move by rolling.
"Jumping beetles rely on the muscles of their legs to stretch the elastic tissue of their legs to store energy during jumping, a mechanism that makes their jumps extremely effective," says Yanjie Wang, co-author of the scientific study "Tumro: A Tunable Multimodal Wheeled Jumping Robot Based on the Bionic Mechanism of Jumping Beetles", published in Advanced Intelligent Systems.
In Tumro, the researchers rely on an elastic skeleton made of carbon fibers and epoxy resin. It is 320 mm long and has the shape of a coil with two electric motor-driven wheels with a diameter of 80 mm attached to its outer ends. They can be controlled independently of each other. This allows the robot to move on wheels, maneuver in small spaces and turn on the spot, for example.
With an elastic skeleton for big jumps
The robot stores the energy for jumping in its elastic skeleton. To accomplish this, it is pulled together by an electric motor using ropes. The energy is then released at the push of a button and the robot is catapulted into the air. This allows the robot to jump up to 3 meters high. That is about 40 times its height. After landing, it has returned to its spool shape and can then continue rolling. The direction of the jump can be controlled by moving the wheels.
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As a prototype, the robot is currently still controlled by an operator who knows the jump angle and can assess the jump accordingly. Autonomous locomotion depending on the terrain is planned for a later version of Tumro. It should then be able to overcome obstacles independently.
The scientists envisage that Tumro will be used to explore other planets. "For the future exploration of exoplanets, the low gravity will also significantly improve the robot's jumping effect," says Wang.
(olb)