Materials Matter: Investigating Functional Advantages of Bio-Inspired Materials via Simulated Robotic Hopping

In contrast with the diversity of materials found in nature, most robots are designed with some combination of aluminum, stainless steel, and 3D-printed filament. Additionally, robotic systems are typically assumed to follow basic rigid-body dynamics. However, several examples in nature illustrate how changes in physical material properties yield functional advantages. In this paper, we explore how physical materials (non-rigid bodies) affect the functional performance of a hopping robot. In doing so, we address the practical question of how to model and simulate material properties. Through these simulations we demonstrate that material gradients in the leg of a single-limb hopper provide functional advantages compared to homogeneous designs. For example, when considering incline ramp hopping, a material gradient with increasing density provides a 35% reduction in tracking error and a 23% reduction in power consumption compared to homogeneous stainless steel. By providing bio-inspiration to the rigid limbs in a robotic system, we seek to show that future fabrication of robots should look to leverage the material anisotropies of moduli and density found in nature. This would allow for reduced vibrations in the system and would provide offsets of joint torques and vibrations while protecting their structural integrity against reduced fatigue and wear. This simulation system could inspire future intelligent material gradients of custom-fabricated robotic locomotive devices.