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Robotics industry

Breakthrough in Robotics: Czech Technical University Develops Innovative Mechatronic Design

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at Czech Technical University have successfully designed and validated a minimal configuration brachiation robot with a single rigid rod and gripper mechanisms. Funded by the Agency of the Czech Technical University, the European Union's Robotics and Advanced Industrial Production project, and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, the team's innovative design has achieved remarkable results in both simulations and experimental validation. The robot's mechatronic control design, which includes a nonlinear model and optimal control strategies, has been implemented on a low-cost STM32-based control system, demonstrating a significant advancement in robotics research.

Key Takeaways:

  • The robot consists of a single rigid rod with gripper mechanisms attached to both ends, allowing it to swing or rotate.
  • The grippers are used to hang the robot on a horizontal bar, which is imposed by repositioning the robot's center of mass using a crank-slide mechanism.
  • A nonlinear model and optimal control strategy were proposed for repositioning the center of mass in a bang-bang manner.
  • Utilizing input-output linearization, a continuous control strategy was proposed to take into account the limited torque of the crank-slide mechanism and its geometry.
  • The research team implemented the continuous control strategy within a low-cost STM32-based control system and experimentally validated the swing and rotation stages of the brachiation motion.
  • The innovative design has significant implications for robotics research and development.
  • Authors including Tomas Vyhlidal, Juraj Lieskovsky, Jaroslav Busek, Hijiri Akahane, Aoto Osawa, and Ikuo Mizuuchi contributed to the research.

Statistics:

  • The robot's design consists of a single rigid rod with gripper mechanisms attached to both ends.
  • The grippers are used to hang the robot on a horizontal bar, with a diameter of [unspecified].
  • The wall clock speed of the simulation was set to 9.66 [junk] units.
  • The robot's motion is imposed by repositioning the robot's center of mass, which is performed using a crank-slide mechanism with a limited torque of [unspecified] Nm.
  • The simulation results showed a significant energy accumulation towards the subsequent jump stage of the brachiation.

Sources:

  • VerticalNews, "Current study results on Robotics have been published", October 20, 2025.
  • Single-rod Brachiation Robot: Mechatronic Control Design and Validation of Prejump Phases, Ieee-asme Transactions On Mechatronics, 2025.
  • Ieee-asme Transactions On Mechatronics, Ieee-inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08855-4141, USA.
  • NewsRx LLC, "Researchers at Czech Technical University Report New Data on Robotics", Journal of Engineering, October 20, 2025.

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