Abstract—Jumping robots adopt an efficient locomotion strategy to overcome obstacles in competitive and unstructured environments. However, many existing designs rely on complex mechanisms with multiple degrees of freedom and sophisticated control algorithms, which limits their practicality in time-constrained applications. In this study, a lightweight single-degree-of-freedom jumping robot actuated by a pneumatic cylinder combined with elastic elements was developed. The design of the system and the results of an experimental evaluation are also discussed. The robot uses rubber bands for passive energy storage to enhance cylinder rebound and enable repeatable vertical jumping without complex control. A simplified dynamic model was developed to analyze the relationship between pneumatic force, elastic restoring force, and jumping performance. Experimental tests were conducted by varying the number of rubber bands to adjust the effective spring constant. The results demonstrate that using four rubber bands provides an optimal balance between rebound force and gas efficiency, and the robot achieved a maximum vertical jump height of 270 mm with a rebound cycle time of approximately 0.8 s. Configurations with fewer bands produced insufficient rebound force, whereas higher stiffness resulted in excessive air consumption. The findings confirm that pneumatic–elastic actuation can deliver efficient, stable, and repeatable jumping performance with minimal control complexity. Given its lightweight structure, inexpensive components, and ease of assembly, the proposed jumping robot offers a practical and resource-efficient solution for competition-oriented tasks and potential deployments in disaster relief scenarios where conventional robotic systems are limited.

Keywords—jumping robot, pneumatic cylinder, vertical jump height, disaster relief

Cite: Yun-Ju Chuang, Qinxin Zhan, and Ho Chang, "Development and Measurement of the Jumping with Pneumatic Cylinder," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 156-162, 2026. doi: 10.18178/ijmerr.15.2.156-162

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).