Design of a Small-Scale Locust-Inspired Robot Capable of Jump-gliding Locomotion

Abstract

Small-scale robots are widely used in real-world rescue missions, but their mobility and movement range are still limited. One solution to improve their adaptability to complex environments is to introduce jumping and gliding strategies into the robot design. In this paper, we developed a small-scale locust-inspired robot capable of active (propeller-driven) gliding after launching from the ground, which had a body length of 19.1 cm and a weight of 97 g. On the basis of the locust’s musculoskeletal model, the jumping system was designed by a six-bar mechanism which can amplify the power. To improve the lift in gliding phase while reducing the draft in jumping phase, the gliding system with a folding wing and a front propeller was proposed corresponding to the fixed-wing principle. The results obtained through a series of experimental tests reveal that the robot achieves a jumping height of 0.15 m and a passive gliding distance of 1.5 m, which has a glide ratio of 1.13. Remarkably, actuating by a propeller, the robot can jump up to a height of 0.20 m, covering a gliding distance of 2.9 m. It is worth noting that the glide ratio of the robot improves by 91.2% in the propeller-driven jump-gliding mode.