Energy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

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Overview

The field studies how robots can move farther or perform tasks with less energy, often measured by electrical power or cost of transport. Approaches include reinforcement learning and model-predictive control, terrain-aware energy models, and mechanical designs that exploit compliant feet, springs, passive dynamics, or coordinated actuator use. Researchers test these methods on tasks such as quadruped walking over slopes and rough ground, humanoid gaiting, hopping, and swimming, with simulation and hardware trials used to assess performance. A central challenge is improving efficiency without sacrificing speed, stability, agility, or safety, while ensuring gains observed in simulation or on simple terrain transfer to real robots and varied environments.

Latest papers

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32 papers7 papers in the last four weeks, level with the four weeks before. 0.0% of all new papers.

  1. Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning of Co-Adaptive Hip Exoskeleton Control (MARL-Exo) for Metabolic Energy Reduction

    Oct 27, 2026Yifei Yuan, Jakob Wolf, Ghaith Androwis +1Hip Exoskeleton ControlAssistive Robotics

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA · Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA

  2. SkateNav: Learning Energy-Efficient Navigation through Adaptive Skating on Passive-Wheel Quadrupedal Robots

    Oct 19, 2026Jeil Jeong, Taeyun Kim, Sangjin Kim +2Robot LocomotionQuadruped Robot Navigation

    NAVER LABS, Republic of Korea. · School of Computing, KAIST, Republic of Korea.

  3. MOSS: Multimodal Origami Swamp Robot System

    Oct 16, 2026Tian Lan, Atar Babgei, Luca Romanello +2RoboticsRobot Locomotion

    Aerial Robotics Laboratory, Imperial College London. · Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics, EMPA, Dübendorf, Switzerland. · Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics, EPFL, Lausanne Switzerland.

  4. Optimally Trading Energy for Information through Speed Trajectory Optimization of Sustainably Powered Mobile Robots

    Oct 14, 2026Kavin M. Govindarajan, Dimitra Panagou, Chris VermillionTrajectory OptimizationOptimal Control

    Department of Robotics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA · Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

  5. Energy-Efficient Gait Adaptation via Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning for Quadrupedal Locomotion Across Diverse Terrains

    Oct 7, 2026Ammar Issa, Anubhav Singh, Anton Tsaritsin +1Legged RoboticsEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics, ITMO University, and the Biomechatronics and Energy-Efficient Robotics Lab (BE2R), St. Petersburg, Russia

  6. Subject-Specific Predictive Musculoskeletal Simulations of Lower-Limb Exoskeleton Assistance: Metabolic and Biomechanical Effects of Joint Assistance Strategies

    Oct 2, 2026Neethan Ratnakumar, Mariya Tohfafarosh, Xianlian ZhouEnergy-Efficient Robot LocomotionUpper-Limb Exoskeletons

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka · Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, 07102, USA

  7. PROMO: Preference-conditioned Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning for Quadrupedal Robots

    Oct 1, 2026Amr Mousa, Rifny Rachman, Neil Karavis +2Multi-Objective Reinforcement LearningEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    The University of Manchester, United Kingdom · BAE Systems, United Kingdom · University of Warwick, United Kingdom

  8. Passive-Dynamic-Walking-Inspired Dynamics Guidance for Energy-Efficient Humanoid Locomotion

    Sep 28, 2026Hyeonjin Choi, Joongheon Kim, Daekyum KimHumanoid Robot LocomotionReinforcement Learning

    School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea · School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea · School of Smart Mobility, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea

  9. Dense-Joint-Based Obstacle-Aided Locomotion with a Joint-Repositionable Snake Robot

    Sep 24, 2026Kyosuke Minomo, Ryo Takahashi, Kotaro Yasui +3Energy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Locomotion

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan · Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan · Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan +1

  10. Spiderbot: An Open-Source Energy-Efficient Hexapod with Passive Gravity Compensation

    Sep 22, 2026Ritwik Sharma, Vimarsh Shah, Saransh AgrawalEnergy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Locomotion

    Electronics and Robotics Club, BITS Pilani, KK Birla Goa Campus

  11. Safety-Constrained Model Predictive Control for an Omnidirectional Walking Assistive Robot Using Control Barrier Function

    Sep 22, 2026Andrea Fortuna, Marta Lorenzini, Elisa Motta +3Energy-Efficient Robot LocomotionControl Barrier Functions

    Human-Robot Interfaces and Interaction Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy · Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy · Dep. of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Rome, Italy

  12. When to Waddle: A Comparative Study of Bipedal Torso-Stabilization on Low-Friction Surfaces

    Sep 18, 2026Ben Gu, Naomi Oke, George Ortiz +4Humanoid Robot LocomotionEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA · Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA · Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA

  13. Learning to Exploit Passive Dynamics for Energy-Efficient Target Hopping of a Spring-Legged Quadcopter

    Sep 14, 2026Ruigang Chen, Qi Zhang, Zhicheng Zhong +3RL ControlEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, 515063, Guangdong, China. · Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.

  14. Dynamics-Informed Reinforcement Learning for Agile and Energy-Efficient Locomotion of a Monopedal Hopping Quadcopter

    Sep 14, 2026Ruigang Chen, Qi Zhang, Zhicheng Zhong +3Energy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Locomotion

    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, 515063, Guangdong, China. · Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.

  15. Tuning ROS 2 for Energy-Efficient Navigation: Empirical Insights from Costmap 2D Configurations

    Sep 11, 2026Michel Albonico, Andreas Wortmann, Ivano MalavoltaEnergy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Navigation

    Federal University of Technology - Paran´a (UTFPR), DAINF-FB, Francisco Beltr˜ao, Brazil · University of Southern Denmark (SDU), MMMI, Centre for Software Technology (CST), Vejle, Denmark · Institute for Control Eng. of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany +1

  16. Optimal control of a swimming robot based on Purcell's microswimmer model

    Aug 18, 2026Noam Berkovich Lahav, Oren Wiezel, Yizhar OrEnergy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Locomotion

  17. DASH Robot: Minimalistic Design and Optimal Aerial-Terrestrial Locomotion via Contact-Implicit Control

    Jul 20, 2026Ryan Gomes Paiva, Conrad Ho, Jiarong Kang +3Aerial RoboticsEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    University of Wisconsin–Madison, WI, USA. · Shanghai Innovation Institute (SII), Shanghai, China

  18. Strouhal-Aware Model Predictive Control for Efficient Multi-Fin Flapping Locomotion

    Jul 3, 2026Yuya Hamamatsu, Zixi Chen, Maarja Kruusmaa +1Energy-Efficient Robot LocomotionModel Predictive Control

    Department of Computer Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia · Brubotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and IMEC, Brussel, Belgium.

  19. Dynamics, stability, and energy efficiency of an energy-recycling rimless wheel with spring-clutch legs

    Jun 20, 2026Tongchen Lin, Yanqiu Zheng, Chuhan Zhang +3Legged RoboticsMechanism Design

    Department of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, China. · Department of Applied Electronics, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan. · Tongchen Lin, Chuhan Zhang, Ruigang Chen, Yizhar Or, and Mingyi Liu: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

  20. Comparative Study on Agility, Efficiency, and Impact Absorption of Bipedal Robots with Active Toes

    Jun 18, 2026Joong-Gil Kim, Wontae Ye, Geunwoo Cho +3Legged RoboticsHumanoid Robot Locomotion

    School of Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, 31253, Korea · Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, South Korea · Robot Innovation Hub, WIRobotics Inc., Cheonan, 31253, Korea

  21. LoComposition: Terrain-Adaptive Energy-Efficient Quadruped Locomotion without Gait Priors

    Jun 14, 2026Loukas Kordos, Leonard T. Franz, Simon Rappenecker +4Legged RoboticsRL for Robotics

    Technical University of Munich. · University of Tübingen. · Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research & Center for Integrative Neuroscience. +1

  22. Energy-Efficient Quadruped Locomotion with Compliant Feet

    May 14, 2026Pramod Pal, Shishir Kolathaya, Ashitava GhosalLegged RoboticsEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Indian Institute of Science Bangalore India · Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India · Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems Bangalore India +3

  23. Locomotion of an Elastic Snake Robot via Natural Dynamics

    Apr 20, 2026Tristan Ehlert, Arne Sachtler, Annika Schmidt +2Dynamical SystemsEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    German Aerospace Center (DLR), Robotics and Mechatronics Center (RMC), Münchner Str. 20, 82234 Weßling, Germany · Technical University of Munich (TUM), Department of Computer Engineering; Boltzmannstraße 3, 85748 Garching, Germany

  24. Dynamic Modeling and Robust Gait Optimization of a Compliant Worm Robot

    Apr 13, 2026Xinyu Zhou, Yu Mei, Faith Thomson +3Robot LocomotionEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA

  25. A Foot Resistive Force Model for Legged Locomotion on Muddy Terrains

    Apr 13, 2026Xunjie Chen, Liuyin Wang, Xinyan Huang +3Robot LocomotionTerrain-Aware Robot Locomotion

    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA · Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA

  26. Physical Imitation Learning: Distilling Control Policies into Passive Elasticity

    Apr 1, 2026Huyue Ma, Yurui Jin, Helmut Hauser +1Energy-Efficient Robot LocomotionRobot Morphology-Control Co-Design

    School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol, and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, BS8 1QU, United Kingdom

  27. Efficient and Versatile Quadrupedal Skating: Optimal Co-design via Reinforcement Learning and Bayesian Optimization

    Mar 19, 2026Hanwen Wang, Zhenlong Fang, Josiah Hanna +1Robot Morphology-Control Co-DesignQuadruped Locomotion

    Hanwen Wang, Zhenlong Fang, and Josiah Hanna are with the University of Wisconsin - Madison. · Xiaobin Xiong was with the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and now with the Shanghai Innovation Institute (SII).

  28. Learning Energy-Efficient Air--Ground Actuation for Hybrid Robots on Stair-Like Terrain

    Mar 13, 2026Jiaxing Li, Ishaan Bhimwal, Wen Tian +5Robot LocomotionEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    Carnegie Mellon University, US · Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Germany · Nanyang Technological University, Singapore +1

  29. Energy Prediction on Sloping Ground for Quadruped Robots

    Mar 12, 2026Mohamed Ounally, Cyrille Pierre, Johann LaconteEnergy-Efficient Robot LocomotionQuadruped Locomotion

    Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UR TSCF, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

  30. Modeling PWM-Time-SOC Interaction in a Simulated Robot

    Feb 27, 2026Vidyut Pradeep, Shirantha WelikalaRoboticsEnergy-Efficient Robot Locomotion

    South Brunswick High School, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, United States · Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, United States