Leg Propulsion Mechanism Design of a Lizard Inspired Robot

Abstract

Based on a previous research that verified the effects of lateral undulation of a bipedal running lizard, Callisaurus Draconoides, a novel robotic system was proposed. For this novel robotic system, the leg mechanism that resembles the running characteristics of the real lizard is the most important component in successfully developing the robot. This study focused on the synthesis of a leg propulsion mechanism of a lizard inspired robot. As a first step, data from a running lizard was acquired by a motion captured video. The four bar mechanism was utilized in mimicking the trajectory of the feet of the lizard, and optimization scheme was applied to determine the optimal lengths of the links of the proposed mechanism. Finally, running experiment was carried out with the designed leg mechanism on a treadmill, concluded with a performance analysis