| MadSci Network: Biophysics |
How do you get a robot off the ground?
You’re starting with a 1000 lb humanoid robot, and you want to know how much force must be generated at the limbs to cause the robot to jump.
It sounds like a simple problem. But, it’s not. You could build a robot that would produce an infinite amount of force in the lower limbs, and it sill wouldn’t go anywhere. Conversely, if you could get your robot to produce 1000 lbs of force plus smallest additional amount at a constant rate it will rise up off the ground and never come down.
Basically, what you need to do is impart a vertical acceleration upon the robot. That’s different from applying force. In humans the forces applied across the lower limb joints vary according to the strength of the muscles and the leverage of the system. Some muscles act on joints in a way that is strong, and some act in a way that is fast. However, the ratio between these factors is really irrelevant to your robot. You could have the robot apply the necessary accelerating force at any one of its joints, and that would cause it to jump into the air.
I’m sure a Mad Scientist more versed in engineering could give you the mathematics of the situation, but the basic answer would be the same.
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