Brachiation robot inspired by gibbon dynamics:insights for control across irregular bar spacing and heights

Abstract

Bio-inspired robotics draws inspiration from nature's solutions to locomotion, with brachiation robots replicating the swinging motion of primates to navigate discontinuous structures. While many systems often replicate the overarching motion, their control strategies often rely on complex full-state regulation rather than exploiting natural dynamics. This paper presents a simplified control approach where only the reaching hand is actively guided toward the next target while the body swings passively inspired by gibbon behavior. The method reduces control complexity while maintaining adaptability to irregular bar spacing and varying heights. The method is derived through dynamic modeling and validated in Gazebo simulations, with experimental verification on a physical prototype confirming feasibility. The results demonstrate that leveraging passive dynamics with minimal active control can achieve stable and efficient brachiation, offering a promising direction for energy-efficient robotic locomotion.