Existence and stability of a limit cycle in the model of a planar passive biped walking down a slope

Abstract

We consider the simplest model of a passive biped walking down a slope given by the equations of switched coupled pendula (McGeer, 1990). Following the fundamental work by Garcia et al (1998), we view the slope of the ground as a small parameter $γ\ge 0$. When $γ=0$ the system can be solved in closed form and the existence of a family of limit cycles (i.e. potential walking cycles) can be established explicitly. As observed in Garcia et al (1998), the family of limit cycles disappears when $γ$ increases and only isolated asymptotically stable cycles (walking cycles) persist. However, no rigorous proofs of such a bifurcation (often referred to as Melnikov bifurcation) have ever been reported. The present paper fills in this gap in the field and offers the required proof.