Multilegged matter transport: A framework for locomotion on noisy landscapes

Whereas the transport of matter by wheeled vehicles or legged robots can be guaranteed in engineered landscapes such as roads or rails, locomotion prediction in complex environments such as collapsed buildings or crop fields remains challenging. Inspired by the principles of information transmission, which allow signals to be reliably transmitted over noisy channels, we developed a matter-transport framework that demonstrates that noninertial locomotion can be provably generated over noisy rugose landscapes (heterogeneities on the scale of locomotor dimensions). Experiments confirm that sufficient spatial redundancy in the form of serially connected legged robots leads to reliable transport on such terrain without requiring sensing and control. Further analogies from communication theory coupled with advances in gaits (coding) and sensor-based feedback control (error detection and correction) can lead to agile locomotion in complex terradynamic regimes.

Automated summary

This article develops a matter-transport framework based on the principles of information transmission and demonstrates that noninertial locomotion can be reliably generated over complex terrains. Experiments show that serially connected legged robots can achieve reliable transport on such terrain without sensing and control.