The aim of this workshop is to present and discuss the state of the art in legged and multimodal locomotion research, from thebiological, biomechanical and robotic viewpoints. Research focusing on locomotion in unstructured, rugged and yielding terrain, on sand, on mud and in aquatic environments, on the combination of various modes of locomotion for different environments, as well as on the exploration of the role of compliance in locomotion, will be of particular interest.

Intended audience: The workshop will attempt to bring together researchers and practitioners with interests at the interface of biology, biomechanics and robotics, and, in particular, on theoretical and practical issues related to the control and development of multi-dof, underactuated/overactuated, hybrid, constrained, legged/multi-appendage robotic locomotors in unstructured environments.

The presentations will deal with both theoretical and practical aspects of modeling, control and development of legged and multi-modal robotic locomotion: practical robotic systems that demonstrate reliable, robust behavior, novel materials and state of the art techniques and algorithms for modeling and control, for improving the performance of these systems.