A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility
Biological systems can adaptively navigate multi-terrain environments via morphological and behavioral flexibility. While robotic systems increasingly achieve locomotion versatility in one or two domains, integrating terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial mobility into a single platform remains an enginee...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Biomimetics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/6/374 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850156472581750784 |
|---|---|
| author | Zijie Sun Yangmin Li Long Teng |
| author_facet | Zijie Sun Yangmin Li Long Teng |
| author_sort | Zijie Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biological systems can adaptively navigate multi-terrain environments via morphological and behavioral flexibility. While robotic systems increasingly achieve locomotion versatility in one or two domains, integrating terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial mobility into a single platform remains an engineering challenge. This work tackles this by introducing a bipedal robot equipped with a reconfigurable locomotion framework, enabling seven adaptive policies: (1) thrust-assisted jumping, (2) legged crawling, (3) balanced wheeling, (4) tricycle wheeling, (5) paddling-based swimming, (6) air-propelled drifting, and (7) quadcopter flight. Field experiments and indoor statistical tests validated these capabilities. The robot achieved a 3.7-m vertical jump via thrust forces counteracting gravitational forces. A unified paddling mechanism enabled seamless transitions between crawling and swimming modes, allowing amphibious mobility in transitional environments such as riverbanks. The crawling mode demonstrated the traversal on uneven substrates (e.g., medium-density grassland, soft sand, and cobblestones) while generating sufficient push forces for object transport. In contrast, wheeling modes prioritize speed and efficiency on flat terrain. The aquatic locomotion was validated through trials in static water, an open river, and a narrow stream. The flight mode was investigated with the assistance of the jumping mechanism. By bridging terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial locomotion, this platform may have the potential for search-and-rescue and environmental monitoring applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3c6cbda39889414abaa86761f25cfd2f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2313-7673 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomimetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-3c6cbda39889414abaa86761f25cfd2f2025-08-20T02:24:31ZengMDPI AGBiomimetics2313-76732025-06-0110637410.3390/biomimetics10060374A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial MobilityZijie Sun0Yangmin Li1Long Teng2Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, ChinaBiological systems can adaptively navigate multi-terrain environments via morphological and behavioral flexibility. While robotic systems increasingly achieve locomotion versatility in one or two domains, integrating terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial mobility into a single platform remains an engineering challenge. This work tackles this by introducing a bipedal robot equipped with a reconfigurable locomotion framework, enabling seven adaptive policies: (1) thrust-assisted jumping, (2) legged crawling, (3) balanced wheeling, (4) tricycle wheeling, (5) paddling-based swimming, (6) air-propelled drifting, and (7) quadcopter flight. Field experiments and indoor statistical tests validated these capabilities. The robot achieved a 3.7-m vertical jump via thrust forces counteracting gravitational forces. A unified paddling mechanism enabled seamless transitions between crawling and swimming modes, allowing amphibious mobility in transitional environments such as riverbanks. The crawling mode demonstrated the traversal on uneven substrates (e.g., medium-density grassland, soft sand, and cobblestones) while generating sufficient push forces for object transport. In contrast, wheeling modes prioritize speed and efficiency on flat terrain. The aquatic locomotion was validated through trials in static water, an open river, and a narrow stream. The flight mode was investigated with the assistance of the jumping mechanism. By bridging terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial locomotion, this platform may have the potential for search-and-rescue and environmental monitoring applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/6/374bioroboticslocomotion policy reconfigurabilitymulti-terrain robotrobotic jumpingcrawling robotswimming robot |
| spellingShingle | Zijie Sun Yangmin Li Long Teng A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility Biomimetics biorobotics locomotion policy reconfigurability multi-terrain robot robotic jumping crawling robot swimming robot |
| title | A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility |
| title_full | A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility |
| title_fullStr | A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility |
| title_short | A Bipedal Robotic Platform Leveraging Reconfigurable Locomotion Policies for Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Aerial Mobility |
| title_sort | bipedal robotic platform leveraging reconfigurable locomotion policies for terrestrial aquatic and aerial mobility |
| topic | biorobotics locomotion policy reconfigurability multi-terrain robot robotic jumping crawling robot swimming robot |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/6/374 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zijiesun abipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility AT yangminli abipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility AT longteng abipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility AT zijiesun bipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility AT yangminli bipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility AT longteng bipedalroboticplatformleveragingreconfigurablelocomotionpoliciesforterrestrialaquaticandaerialmobility |