16 Ways to Gallop: Energetics and Body Dynamics of High-Speed Quadrupedal Gaits

Galloping is a common high-speed gait in both animals and quadrupedal robots, yet its energetic characteristics remain insufficiently explored. This study systematically analyzes a large number of possible galloping gaits by categorizing them based on the number of flight phases per stride and the phase relationships between the front and rear legs, following Hildebrand’s framework for asymmetrical gaits. Using the A1 quadrupedal robot from Unitree, we model galloping dynamics as a hybrid dynamical system and employ trajectory optimization (TO) to minimize the cost of transport (CoT) across a range of speeds. Our results reveal that rotary and transverse gallop footfall sequences exhibit no fundamental energetic difference, despite variations in body yaw and roll motion. However, the number of flight phases significantly impacts energy efficiency: galloping with no flight phases is optimal at lower speeds, whereas galloping with two flight phases minimizes energy consumption at higher speeds. We validate these findings using a Quadratic Programming (QP)-based controller, developed in our previous work, in Gazebo simulations. These insights advance the understanding of quadrupedal locomotion energetics and may inform future legged robot designs for adaptive, energy-efficient gait transitions.