Leg mechanism

Mechanical legs are linkages that can have one or more actuators, and can perform simple planar or complex motion.

Compared to a wheel, a leg mechanism is potentially better fitted to uneven terrain, as it can step over obstacles.

[1] An early design for a leg mechanism called the Plantigrade Machine by Pafnuty Chebyshev was shown at the Exposition Universelle (1878).

[2] The design of the leg mechanism for the Ohio State Adaptive Suspension Vehicle (ASV) is presented in the 1988 book Machines that Walk.

[7][8] Patents for leg mechanism designs range from rotating cranks to four-bar and six-bar linkages.