FURI | Spring 2025

Continuum Spine Adaptation to a Quadruped Robot

The research will revolve around the hardware development and control of a variable-stiffness spine to be embedded in a quadruped robot. The project articulates itself in 3 phases: a first, merely replicative, phase in which a pre-selected open-source quadruped robot (Stanford Pupper) will be fully replicated. The second phase will involve the full design and testing of a controllable-stiffness continuum spine, as well as its characterization and mechanical adaptation to the quadruped robot. The third and final phase will mainly consist of data gathering and performance assessment of the newly conceived spine, studying natural frequency of oscillation, maximum force, and degree of controllability.