Shock Absorbtion in a Robotic Knee During Jumping
Faculty Mentor
Philip Appel, Jennifer Leaf
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Mechanical Engineering and Technology
Abstract
The motion and mechanics of the human body are complex, utilizing many ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones to accomplish its movement. In the world of robotics, researchers and engineers have been trying to imitate this evolutionary feat through the use of mechanical systems. One of the engineering challenges that the bio-robotics field is facing is an effective way to dampen and eliminate shock loading from walking and jumping while maintaining organic movement. In this paper a design for a novel shock damping method of an actuated knee joint with 1 degree of freedom is proposed and tested in order to develop a more accessible damper design for others to build off of and incorporate in projects. The damper is able to absorb fast impact loadings which reduces shock on the system while allowing normal leg movement, which is relatively slower than the impact of a fall. These mechanical properties are accomplished by utilizing a high viscosity fluid that moves through multiple small parallel fluid lines that, as the piston progresses down the cylinder, get closed off; this increases the difficulty of moving the piston through the fluid at high speeds. During a walking motion the movement of the high viscosity fluid through the damper does not overly restrict the motor movement which allows the joint to have a relatively free amount of motion. The piston setup acts as a variable speed damper, mimicking the knee and leg absorption and movement. Ultimately this damping method was found effective for an actuated knee of this kind and scale. The next step in our research is the implementation of our damper design in a knee joint for a robot that jumps on its own power.
Recommended Citation
Carroll, Parker and Blake, Duncan, "Shock Absorbtion in a Robotic Knee During Jumping" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 39.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/39
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Shock Absorbtion in a Robotic Knee During Jumping
PUB NCR
The motion and mechanics of the human body are complex, utilizing many ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones to accomplish its movement. In the world of robotics, researchers and engineers have been trying to imitate this evolutionary feat through the use of mechanical systems. One of the engineering challenges that the bio-robotics field is facing is an effective way to dampen and eliminate shock loading from walking and jumping while maintaining organic movement. In this paper a design for a novel shock damping method of an actuated knee joint with 1 degree of freedom is proposed and tested in order to develop a more accessible damper design for others to build off of and incorporate in projects. The damper is able to absorb fast impact loadings which reduces shock on the system while allowing normal leg movement, which is relatively slower than the impact of a fall. These mechanical properties are accomplished by utilizing a high viscosity fluid that moves through multiple small parallel fluid lines that, as the piston progresses down the cylinder, get closed off; this increases the difficulty of moving the piston through the fluid at high speeds. During a walking motion the movement of the high viscosity fluid through the damper does not overly restrict the motor movement which allows the joint to have a relatively free amount of motion. The piston setup acts as a variable speed damper, mimicking the knee and leg absorption and movement. Ultimately this damping method was found effective for an actuated knee of this kind and scale. The next step in our research is the implementation of our damper design in a knee joint for a robot that jumps on its own power.
