Performance trade-offs in a latch-mediated spring actuated robotic jumper

Spring-driven mechanisms in robotic systems can be used to drive rapid movements that circumvent the power limitations of small-scale motors, but the integration of motors, latches, and springs into a small jumping system presents a challenge in robotic design. In this work, we experimentally investigate robotic jumpers designed with an integrated latch-mediated spring actuation (LaMSA) system. We explored how trade-offs in system parameters determined the range of optimal performance of the robot. The probability of successful jumps and the measured take-off velocity of the robot depend on the latch radius, spring constant, the gear ratio of the unlatching motor, and the voltage supplied to the motor. We discovered a trade-off between the amount of energy stored in the system and the ability of the system to unlatch, as well as a trade-off between the tunability of the robotic jumper performance and the robustness of the unlatching motor. Our results may allow for future refinement of the robotic jumper and provide us with the ability to tune the whole system performance and control to a desired goal.