Dynamic Modeling and MPC for Locomotion of Tendon-Driven Soft Quadruped

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16371v1
• Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:14:22 GMT
• Title: Dynamic Modeling and MPC for Locomotion of Tendon-Driven Soft Quadruped
• Abstract summary: SLOT (Soft Legged Omnidirectional Tetrapod) is a tendon-driven soft quadruped robot with 3D-printed TPU legs.<n>Each leg is modeled as a deformable continuum using discrete Cosserat rod theory.<n>A modular whole-body modeling framework is introduced, in which compliant leg dynamics are represented.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: SLOT (Soft Legged Omnidirectional Tetrapod), a tendon-driven soft quadruped robot with 3D-printed TPU legs, is presented to study physics-informed modeling and control of compliant legged locomotion using only four actuators. Each leg is modeled as a deformable continuum using discrete Cosserat rod theory, enabling the capture of large bending deformations, distributed elasticity, tendon actuation, and ground contact interactions. A modular whole-body modeling framework is introduced, in which compliant leg dynamics are represented through physically consistent reaction forces applied to a rigid torso, providing a scalable interface between continuum soft limbs and rigid-body locomotion dynamics. This formulation allows efficient whole-body simulation and real-time control without sacrificing physical fidelity. The proposed model is embedded into a convex model predictive control framework that optimizes ground reaction forces over a 0.495 s prediction horizon and maps them to tendon actuation through a physics-informed force-angle relationship. The resulting controller achieves asymptotic stability under diverse perturbations. The framework is experimentally validated on a physical prototype during crawling and walking gaits, achieving high accuracy with less than 5 mm RMSE in center of mass trajectories. These results demonstrate a generalizable approach for integrating continuum soft legs into model-based locomotion control, advancing scalable and reusable modeling and control methods for soft quadruped robots.

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