Active bending motion of pole vault robot to improve reachable height

For robots using elastic devices, pole vault is a particularly interesting task because poles have large differences from previously studied elastic elements in terms of their elastic capacity. The active actuation of the agent in “pole support phase” plays important roles in improving vaulting performance. Investigating this actuation can contribute to the design of novel control strategies during the time when the agent contacts with environment through the elastic device. In this study, we specifically examined an active bending effect performed in the “pole support phase.” We analyzed the active bending effect on reachable height (vaulting height) using the “Transitional Buckling Model.” We applied this active bending theory to a robot and verified the active bending effect to improve vaulting height. Results show that active bending motion in the “pole support phase” improves the pole vault performance and that the timing of the bending direction change is an important factor for defining the vaulting performance. These results will facilitate the application of robots using large elasticity.