Pneupard: A biomimetic musculoskeletal approach for a feline-inspired quadruped robot

Feline locomotion combines great acrobatic proficiency, unparalleled balance and higher accelerations than other animals. Capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km h−1 in three seconds, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is still a mystery which intrigues scientists. Aiming for a better understanding of the source of such higher speeds, we develop a biomimetic platform, where musculoskeletal parameters (range of motion and moment arms) from the biological system can be evaluated with air muscles within a lightweight robotic structure. We performed experiments validating the muscular structure during a treadmill walk, successfully reproducing animal locomotion while adopting an EMG based control method.This work was partially supported by KAKENHI Kiban(S) 23220004.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2013.6696540