Abstract
The biomimetic locust robot hopping vehicle has promising applications in planet exploration and reconnaissance. This paper explores the bionic dynamics model of locust jumping by using high-speed video and force analysis. This paper applies hybrid rigid-flexible mechanisms to bionic locust hopping and studies its dynamics with emphasis laid on the relationship between force and jumping performance. The hybrid rigid-flexible model is introduced in the analysis of locust mechanism to address the principles of dynamics that govern locust joints and mechanisms during energy storage and take-off. The dynamic response of the biomimetic mechanism is studied by considering the flexibility according to the locust jumping dynamics mechanism. A multi-rigid-body dynamics model of locust jumping is established and analyzed based on Lagrange method; elastic knee and tarsus mechanisms that were proposed in previous works are analyzed alongside the original bionic joint configurations and their machinery principles. This work offers primary theories for take-off dynamics and establishes a theoretical basis for future studies and engineering applications.
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The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51375035 and 51075014) and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20121102110021).
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Chen, DS., Yin, JM., Chen, KW. et al. Biomechanical and dynamic mechanism of locust take-off. Acta Mech Sin 30, 762–774 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-014-0065-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-014-0065-2