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Step lengths and efficiencies of serial-operated and parallel-operated mechanical legs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

D McCloy
D McCloy
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey BT37 Northern Ireland (UK)
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Summary

When a free-ranging walking machine carries its own fuel and power source as well as a payload, it is important to maintain high mechanical efficiency. If the masses of the legs are negligible then, in a straight and level walk, the only power to be generated would be that needed to overcome ground and wind resistance and internal frictions. The paper shows this to be the case when one-input straight-line generating mechanisms are used. However, when two-input mechanisms are used the actuators can work against each other resulting in finite, sometimes large, power requirements. The paper determines the effects of limb lengths and ground clearance on step length and quantifies the power requirements of serial-operated and parallel-operated legs. It shows that parallel-operation offers greater efficiency.

Keywords

Mechanical legsSerial-operatedParallel-operatedEfficienciesStep lengths
Type
Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , January 1990 , pp. 23 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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References

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