  In this study, our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of thruster-assisted
steep slope walking for the Husky Carbon, a quadrupedal robot equipped with
custom-designed actuators and plural electric ducted fans, through simulation
prior to conducting experimental trials. Thruster-assisted steep slope walking
draws inspiration from wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) observed in birds,
and intriguingly incorporates posture manipulation and thrust vectoring, a
locomotion technique not previously explored in the animal kingdom. Our
approach involves developing a reduced-order model of the Husky robot, followed
by the application of an optimization-based controller utilizing collocation
methods and dynamics interpolation to determine control actions. Through
simulation testing, we demonstrate the feasibility of hardware implementation
of our controller.
