An Adaptive Bioinspired Foot Mechanism Based on Tensegrity Structures

Traditional robotic feet have received considerable attention for adaptive locomotion on complex terrain. As an alternative, tensegrity structures have the essential characteristics of deformability, adaptability to the environment, and impact resistance. This article proposes ways to solve the problem of adaptive locomotion on complex terrain based on a tensegrity structure and shows that this approach is particularly useful. On the basis of the locomotion mechanism and morphological structure of the human foot, a structural mapping model of a tetrahedral mast tensegrity structure is established through bionic mapping. A model of an adaptive foot mechanism is established through bioinspired design. Theoretical calculations of the behavior of the mechanism are derived, and the spring stiffnesses are matched. A theoretical method based on mechanical kinematics is presented, and a kinematic solution is realized through inverse kinematics. In addition, the locomotion of the mechanism, which is similar to that of the human foot, is simulated using ADAMS, and the effectiveness of the proposed theory and design method is verified by comparing the simulation output with the theoretically