Design Optimization for Rough Terrain Traversal Using a Compliant, Continuum-Joint, Quadruped Robot.

Legged robots have the potential to cover terrain not accessible to wheel-based robots and vehicles. This makes them better suited to perform tasks such as search and rescue in real-world unstructured environments. In addition, pneumatically-actuated, compliant robots may be more suited than their rigid counterparts to real-world unstructured environments with humans where unintentional contact or impact may occur.