Abstract
This thesis details the hardware and control development for a low-cost modular actuator, intended for use in highly dynamic robots. A small 12 degree of freedom quadruped robot has built using these actuators, on which several control experiments have been performed. Despite the relatively low cost of the actuators, the quadruped has demonstrated unprecedented dynamic behaviors for a robot of this scale and number of degrees of freedom, such as a full 360Β° backflip from standing on flat ground. Several other implementations of these actuators are also discussed, a including bilateral teleoperation and haptic feedback system and a 6 degree of freedom lower-body biped robot.