If animals and insects can jump across grass and sand, why can’t robots? Sarah Bergbreiter, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has found that researchers don’t have to look far to enable this in robots. Existing latch mechanisms that were once thought of as an ‘on’ or ‘off’ switch to release stored energy can also be used to control jump performance across a wide range of terrains.
“I am interested in how we can build these very functional, very small robots that can move around diverse environments,” Bergbreiter says. “Traditionally, jumping robots are studied on rigid surfaces, so designing a jumper that can function efficiently on soft substrates is a big step for robotics.”
Bergreiter’s team used a mathematical model to illustrate how the latch plays a role in the system’s ability to adapt its jump performance before testing their findings on a robot “jumper.”
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