CRUSE, H.*; SCHUMM, M.: The influence of changing substrate conditions on swing movement trajectories Trajectories of swing movements of stick insects walking on different forms of substrates were studied. When walking on an inclined surface, the body is rotated around its long axis such that the vertical axis of the body is held more vertical […]

FULL, R.J.: Stability and maneuverability in sprawled posture, legged locomotion. Legged animals bounce up and down and side to side as they run. Species that differ in leg number and posture run stably like sagittal and horizontal plane spring-mass systems. Preflexive mechanisms at the level of legs permit passive, dynamic feedback that can reject rapid […]

ALEXANDER, R.McN.: Stability and Manoeuvrability of Terrestrial Vertebrates For a standing animal to be statically stable, a vertical line through its centre of mass must pass through the polygon of support defined by its feet. Statically stable gaits are possible for quadrupeds but do not seem to be used; a discussion of turtles shows why […]

PRATT, G.: Low impedance robotics Almost all robots, including current walking robots, embody a “stiffer is better” design and control philosophy inherited from the earliest days of numerically controlled machine tools, where position accuracy in the face of unpredictable force disturbances was of paramount importance. This philosophy is so pervasive that is has become part […]

Koditschek, D.E.: INTEGRATING MECHANICAL AND BIOLOGICAL HYPOTHESES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE LOCOMOTION. Recent years have witnessed a payoff to robotics researchers who have taken the effort to incorporate lessons from biology in their designs. High performance locomotion – legged robots that are both stable and maneuverable over highly varied terrain – now appear to be close […]