Jumping height control of an electrically actuated, one-legged hopping robot: modelling and simulation

The problem of one dimensional hopping robots has been extensively studied over the years. This paper revisits the problem from the standpoint of evaluation of a novel form of actuation. A one legged hopper is modelled and simulated, then analyzed primarily on the basis of dynamic stability. A novel mechanical design of the electrically actuated robot leg is introduced that is simpler than those previously reported in the literature. A new method is proposed to evaluate the number of hops required to attain a desired jumping height. Three methods are examined to control the jumping height. The design of the final control law is an improvement over previous efforts. This law is introduced using the robot´s trajectory for a full jump cycle (starting at the top of a jump), then enhanced in order to achieve near zero steady state error and a shorter settling time. The final control law shows minimal sensitivity to system parameters such as spring type or surface characteristics