FLEGX: A Jumping Flexible Robotic Leg

Nowadays the robotic challenges are various and many of these are oriented towards bioinspired, safe and energy efficient solutions. Considering these needs, the authors propose the development of a flexible robotic leg as a first step in the design of a jumping humanoid robot. The virtual prototyping techniques played a key role in the identification of the optimal geometric and dynamic features of the leg, such as the length and thickness of the flexible link or the inertial properties of the whole system, and in the choice of the most suitable mechanical and electromechanical components. Several simulations were performed using the software MSC.Nastran^® and MSC.Adams^® - Matlab/Simulink^® integrated environment and their results will be presented. Future works concern the assembly of a physical prototype and an extended campaign of experimental tests to collect data useful for validate the numerical models.