On the motion of a reconstructed ancient Chinese wooden horse carriage

Lu Ban's wooden horse carriage is the earliest recorded walking machine in ancient China. The purpose here is to investigate the motion of a reconstructed wooden horse carriage. This paper first introduces the structure of the mechanism of ancient Chinese wooden horse carriage. The basic theory behind equation of motion is briefly introduced and the kinematic coefficients of the links and their centers of gravity of the wooden horse carriage are then derived. The non-linear differential equation of motion is then solved by using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Finally, this study investigates the motion characteristics of the horse carriage, including the position, velocity, acceleration, foot trajectory, support leg sequence, and pitch angle. The results can serve as a reference for future optimization and redesign of this ancient Chinese wooden horse carriage and other walking machines.

► The motion of a reconstructed ancient Chinese wooden horse carriage is investigated.
► The difference in speed at current and next support legs caused skidding.
► Skidding should be avoided while redesigning.
► The pitch angle of the horse carriage is shown to change considerably.
► The results can serve as a reference for redesign and optimization of this machine.