MonoBot: A Single-Actuator Walking Robot

This paper introduces the design and analysis of novel planar mobile robot operated by a single actuator. Distinct from conventional multi-actuator designs, this robot achieves both walking and turning motions through a single actuator mechanism, thereby simplifying construction and control. The design focuses on mechanical and electronic minimalism and efficiency. We formulate the governing dynamic equations using Euler-Lagrange formalism by which we optimize the robot's design. The study concludes with a series of experiments that demonstrate the robot's translation and rotation.