SCOUT: a simple quadruped that walks, climbs, and runs

A simple mechanical design for quadrupedal locomotion, termed SCOUT, is proposed, featuring only one degree of freedom per leg. The paper demonstrates experimentally that our first prototype SCOUT-1 is capable of walking, turning, and climbing over a step, despite its mechanical simplicity. The underlying principle is dynamic operation, based on controlled momentum transfer. Simulations show successful walking, stair climbing and running.