A Reproducible Benchmarking Methodology to Assess Robotic Locomotion Over Irregular Terrains: A Practical and Scalable Approach

@article{rodriguezcianca2025reproducible,
 author={Rodriguez-Cianca, David and Sendin, Paulino and Alfonso, Giuseppe and De Benedittis, Davide and Tolomei, Simone and Angelini, Franco and Garabini, Manolo and Torricelli, Diego},
 journal={IEEE Robotics \& Automation Magazine}, 
 title={A Reproducible Benchmarking Methodology to Assess Robotic Locomotion Over Irregular Terrains: A Practical and Scalable Approach}, 
 year={2025},
 volume={},
 number={},
 pages={2-12},
 doi={10.1109/MRA.2025.3631570}}

Demonstrating robust and reliable locomotion in real-world environments is essential for validating the performance and safety of legged robots, yet the absence of standardized evaluation frameworks makes it difficult to objectively assess and compare robotic systems under realistic conditions. This work proposes a comprehensive benchmarking methodology for evaluating legged locomotion over irregular and sloped terrains, comprising a modular and easily replicable testbed, a standardized experimental protocol, and a set of performance indicators that capture key locomotion metrics such as stability, efficiency, and trajectory accuracy.