DASH: A dynamic 16g hexapedal robot

—DASH is a small, lightweight, power autonomous robot capable of running at speeds up to 15 body lengths per second (see video). Drawing inspiration from biomechanics, DASH has a sprawled posture and uses an alternating tripod gait to achieve dynamic open-loop horizontal locomotion. The kinematic design which uses only a single drive motor and allows for a high power density is presented. The design is implemented using a scaled Smart Composite Manufacturing (SCM) process. Evidence is given that DASH runs with a gait that can be characterized using the spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model. In addition to being fast, DASH is also well suited to surviving falls from large heights, due to the uniquely compliant nature of its structure.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: IROS
• Authors: Paul Birkmeyer, Kevin Peterson, Ronald S. Fearing
• Keywords: DASH, IROS 2009, Open-loop Horizontal Locomotion, Power Autonomous Robot, Robotics