New drive concepts and forms of movement have always played a major role in the Bionic Learning Network. That is why we took a close look at the kangaroo and its unique way of moving and have incorporated this into the technology of the BionicKangaroo. Like its natural role model, it can recover the energy exerted when jumping, store it in its Achilles tendon and use it efficiently on the next jump.
The important function of the natural Achilles tendon is performed by an elastic rubber band. It is attached to the rear part of the foot and parallel to a pneumatic cylinder on the knee joint, which triggers the jump. The artificial tendon cushions the jump during landing, absorbs the kinetic energy and releases it for the next jump – with the same technique as the natural kangaroo.
The condition monitoring and the precise control technology ensure the required stability when jumping and landing. The robot kangaroo achieves its high jumping power with the aid of pneumatics. In the places where the highest positioning accuracy is called for, electric motors are used – for example, when it comes to controlling the tail and hip. The artificial kangaroo shows how pneumatic and electric drive technology can be combined efficiently and intelligently into a highly dynamic system.
The BionicKangaroo is easy to operate with gestures. A waving gesture sets it moving. The relevant hand signal makes it rotate around its own axis. A special wristband records the user’s movements and sends the signals via Bluetooth to the controller for the artificial kangaroo.
Our engineers paid special attention to the mobile energy supply of the artificial kangaroo. The team even developed two different concepts for this – one with an integrated compressor and one with a mobile high-pressure storage device. The locomotor system is made of laser-sintered components reinforced with carbon. As a result, the artificial animal weighs just seven kilograms with a height of around one metre, and it can jump up to 40 centimetres high and up to a distance of 80 centimetres.