Abstract

This article discusses a realistic multi-objective parameter optimization study of a highly athletic one-legged robot, called Skippy, in which both the parameters of the mechanism and the parameters of its optimal behaviors were sought. The result is a Pareto front of robot designs that meet or surpass a set of behavioral performance objectives and, for each design, the set of command signals that accomplish these behaviors.

The aim of the study was to identify a design that could meet all of the objectives, and then to build a real robot based on the optimal design. The study, which was restricted to planar motions (two dimensions), is highly realistic and detailed.