Compliance requirements for non-rebounding impact in legged locomotion

An energetic approach for analysis of the impact problem in three dimensional multi-legged robot locomotion is hereby presented. The goal is to combine rigid and deformable body approaches which come together naturally in a work-energy framework. The proposed hybrid approach can predict both rebound and non-rebound for an energetic coefficient of restitution greater than zero. Zero tangential velocity in the impacting end effectors can be also predicted, a condition known as sticking. The paper presents a method for determining whether the level of compliance in the system at a given configuration is adequate to insure a no-slip, no-rebound impact