Locomotion Analysis of a Multisegment Origami-Enabled Robot

Origami-enabled robots are scalable, compliant, and easy-to-fabricate soft robots. In this study, we investigate the locomotion of an origami-enabled multisegment robot. Such robots offer energetic advantages and enable complex missions by combining several simple robotic segments. This article evaluates the effect of actuation frequency and substrate friction on the straight-line locomotion of the single- and multisegment robots, and their ability to turn. Moreover, we report our evaluation of the multisegment robot’s robustness to failure when one or more segments are disabled. During straight-line locomotion, the one-segment system can crawl with minimal penalties on low-friction substrates. In contrast, the multisegment system, when the distribution of mass is even, is insensitive to both substrate friction and frequency. The turning locomotion results reveal trade-offs between efficiency and maneuverability. Systems with high efficiency during straight-line locomotion have reduced displacement and a high cost of transport (COT), a measure of the energy required for locomotion while turning. When a segment fails during straight-line motion, the robot can continue operating with up to two segments disabled. During turning locomotion, the robot can operate only with one segment disabled, with the penalties to COT and displacement depending on the distribution of functioning segments. Thus, with the ability to crawl effectively on a range of substrates and at varying frequencies, both as a single- and multisegment system, this robot is a viable option for applications where redundancy and modularity are much needed.