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arXiv · 2602.21612

Jumping Control for a Quadrupedal Wheeled-Legged Robot via NMPC and DE Optimization

Xuanqi Zeng·Lingwei Zhang·Linzhu Yue·Zhitao Song·Hongbo Zhang·Tianlin Zhang·Yun-Hui Liu
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Abstract

Quadrupedal wheeled-legged robots combine the advantages of legged and wheeled locomotion to achieve superior mobility, but executing dynamic jumps remains a significant challenge due to the additional degrees of freedom introduced by wheeled legs. This paper develops a mini-sized wheeled-legged robot for agile motion and presents a novel motion control framework that integrates the Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) for locomotion and the Differential Evolution (DE) based trajectory optimization for jumping in quadrupedal wheeled-legged robots. The proposed controller utilizes wheel motion and locomotion to enhance jumping performance, achieving versatile maneuvers such as vertical jumping, forward jumping, and backflips. Extensive simulations and real-world experiments validate the effectiveness of the framework, demonstrating a forward jump over a 0.12 m obstacle and a vertical jump reaching 0.5 m.

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Xuanqi Zeng, Lingwei Zhang, Linzhu Yue, Zhitao Song, Hongbo Zhang, Tianlin Zhang, Yun-Hui Liu. 2026-02-25. Jumping Control for a Quadrupedal Wheeled-Legged Robot via NMPC and DE Optimization. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.21612

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