Abstract

Conventional robotic limbs, while precise, often lack the passive mechanical intelligence required for dynamic locomotion and impact resilience in unstructured environments. This work introduces a novel robotic limb inspired by the principles of tensegrity (tensional integrity). The proposed design utilizes a network of rigid compressive elements (struts) interconnected by flexible tensile elements (elastic cables) to form a lightweight, compliant and robust structure. We present the design, fabrication and experimental validation of a prototype limb. Quantitative testing demonstrates that the tensegrity limb achieves a 35% reduction in peak impact force compared to an equivalent rigid limb and exhibits a 29% improvement in terrain adaptation, measured as the stability maintenance on uneven surfaces. These results highlight the potential of tensegrity structures to endow robots with inherent robustness and adaptability for challenging real-world applications.

Keywords:Tensegrity robotics; Compliant mechanisms; Legged locomotion; Impact resilience; Bio-inspired design