Abstract

Biological systems achieve energy efficient and adaptive behaviours through extensive internal and external compliance interactions. Active dynamic compliance are created and enhanced from musculoskeletal system (joint-space) to external environment (task-space) amongst the underactuated motions. The terminology bio-inspiration implies the understanding of fundamental principles underlying the motion behaviours of animals and humans and transfers these principles into the development of robotic systems. For example, during walking, the muscles constantly change their stiffness and damping when the leg is swinging forward and the foot is put on the ground. This idea enables the exploration in robotic systems with flexible elements—viscoelasticity to mimic the compliant motion of biological muscles. Underactuated systems with viscoelastic actuation are similar to these biological systems, in that their self-organisation and overall tasks must be achieved by coordinating the subsystems and dynamically interacting with the environment.