【正文】
a Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP)—characteristic of a large and diverse group of running animals, when its central clock, body mass, and leg stiffnesses are appropriately tuned. Even now, prior to the imposition of more sophisticated hierarchical controllers, RHex’s intrinsic characteristics —simple, rugged, light, autonomous, downsizeable, reliable quasistatic operation, demonstrated dynamical capability (., great jumping potential in reduced gravity environments) —all make Rhex an ideal candidate for a plaary explorer.