Robotics in an Intermittent Dynamical Environment: A Prelude to Juggling

We explore a very simple representative of a class of of robotic tasks which require dynamic dexterity , among them the task of juggling . In this initial paper we propose a formal definition of a vertical one juggle , report a few preliminary analytical results, and offer illustrative simulations. This analysis is being currently applied to the design of and experimentation with juggling algorithms for a one-degree of freedom robot operative in the gravitational field