Rigid-flexible coupling dynamic modeling and performance analysis of a bioinspired jumping robot with a six-bar leg mechanism

The rigid-flexible coupling structure of creatures with jumping ability has the advantages of high stiffness and good flexibility, which are of great significance to its research. However, existing research on jumping robots has not demonstrated the effect of multiflexibility links on the jumping performance. In this paper, a Watt-type one degree-of-freedom six-bar mechanism is regarded as research object. For a jumping leg including multiple flexible links and a flexible joint with a floating frame, a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model is established with a pseudo-rigid-body model being used. On this basis, the effect of structural and installation parameters on the jumping performance is analyzed. Results show that different flexible links have distinct effects on the jumping performance, and properly reducing the stiffness of flexible links can improve the jumping performance. The results of this study provide a design basis for jumping robots with a rigid-flexible coupling structure.