Data from: Monopedal robot branch-to-branch leaping and landing inspired by squirrel balance control

Locomotors traversing arboreal environments must often leap across large
gaps to landon small diameter supports. Balancing these dynamic landings
is challenging due to high incidentmomentum, restricted foothold options,
and reduced capacity to produce reaction torques onnarrow supports. We
hypothesized that leg length control to enhance branch reaction
controlauthority would dramatically expand the range of successful landing
conditions, drawing on thesame powerful leg actuation required for
leaping. Exploring this balance strategy, the monopedalrobot Salto-1P
demonstrates branch-to-branch leaps including some upright balanced
landingdespite negligible grasping torque. We also compared this landing
strategy to the landings ofsquirrels which similarly lack the grip
strength found in other arboreal species. We demonstratethat greater
radial force control reduces the inertial body torque and/or grasping
torque at thesupport required to balance a given landing. Adding simple
radial force balance control strategiesto conventional balance controllers
greatly expands potential landing conditions, increasing therange of
initial angular momentum that can be balanced by 230% and 470% across
ranges oflanding angles for low-order models of the robot and squirrel,
respectively.