Jumping-and-landing robot MOWGLI

In this research, we developed a bipedal robot with an artificial musculoskeletal system. Here, we present an approach to realize motor control of jumping and landing that exploits the synergy between control and mechanical structure. Our experimental system is a bipedal robot called MOWGLI. This video shows a jumping-onto-a-chair experiment to a height of 0.4 m. MOWGLI can reach heights of more than 50 % of its body height and can land softly. As a multiple-DOF legged robot, this performance is extremely high. Our results show a proximo-distal sequence of joint extensions during jumping despite simultaneous motor activity. In addition to the experiments with the real robot, the simulation results demonstrate the contribution of the artificial musculoskeletal system as a physical feedback loop in explosive movements.