Energy-Efficient Quadruped Locomotion with Compliant Feet
Quadruped robots are often designed with rigid feet to simplify control and maintain stable contact during locomotion. While this approach is straightforward, it limits the ability of the legs to absorb impact forces and reuse stored elastic energy, leading to higher energy expenditure during locomotion. To explore whether compliant feet can provide an advantage, we integrate foot compliance into a reinforcement learning (RL) locomotion controller and study its effect on walking efficiency. In simulation, we train eight policies corresponding to eight different spring stiffness values and then cross-evaluate their performance by measuring mechanical energy consumed per meter traveled. In ...
| Authors | Pramod Pal, Shishir Kolathaya, Ashitava Ghosal |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.RO |
| Published | 14 May 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 14 May 2026 |
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