Design of a thruster-assisted bipedal robot

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20409204

During the past few years, legged robot technology has been rapidly advancing. However,even the most advanced bipedal legged robots are susceptible to strong disturbances and slippery or impassible terrain. By introducing thrusters to enable hybrid legged-aerial locomotion, these problems can be circumvented by increasing a robot's stability and allowing it to jump over obstacles. Harpy is a bipedal robot with eight actuators and two thrusters that serves as a hardware platform for developing control algorithms to advance research in thruster assisted bipedal legged locomotion. This thesis explores the conception, simulation, and electromechanical design process of the robot, which prioritizes thrust-to-weight ratio, impact resistance, power density, and modularity. The fabrication process of actuators and the leg which enable the robot to be both light and strong and testing of the leg design and thrusters is also discussed.--Author's abstract