A Foot Resistive Force Model for Legged Locomotion on Muddy Terrains

2026-04-13

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of legged locomotion in highly deformable terrains such as mud by proposing a unified impedance force model that integrates the viscoelasticity, thixotropy, and suction effects of mud. For the first time, a morphologically adaptive foot is designed based on this physically interpretable model. Through rheological modeling, mechanical design, experimental validation, and data-driven simulation, the model demonstrates high-fidelity prediction of foot–terrain interaction forces. The developed adaptive foot significantly enhances both mobility and energy efficiency of legged robots traversing muddy terrain, offering a novel paradigm for footed locomotion over complex soft substrates.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Motion and Path Planning
• Computer Vision: Low Level & Physics-based Vision
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Adaptive Behavior

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Applied ML and AI for Web-based mobile applications
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems

Abstract

Legged robots face significant challenges in moving and navigating on deformable and highly yielding terrain such as mud. We present a resistive force model for legged foot-mud interactions. The model captures rheological behaviors such as visco-elasticity, thixotropy of the mud suspension and retractive suction. One attractive property of this new model lies in its effective, uniform formulation to provide underlying physical interpretation and accurate resistive force predictions. We further take advantage of the resistive force model to design a new morphing robotic foot for effective and efficient legged locomotion. We conduct extensive experiments to validate the force model, and the results demonstrate that the morphing foot enhances not only the locomotion mobility but also energy-efficiency of walking in mud. The new resistive force model can be further used to develop data-driven simulation and locomotion control of legged robots on muddy terrains.

Problem

• legged locomotion
• muddy terrains
• resistive force
• terrain interaction
• robotic mobility

Innovation

• resistive force model
• legged locomotion
• muddy terrain
• morphing robotic foot
• rheological behavior