A bipedal walking robot with efficient and human-like gait

SH Collins, A Ruina - Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE …, 2005 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE international conference on robotics …, 2005ieeexplore.ieee.org
Here we present the design of a passive-dynamics based, fully autonomous, 3-D, bipedal
walking robot that uses simple control, consumes little energy, and has human-like
morphology and gait. Design aspects covered here include the freely rotating hip joint with
angle bisecting mechanism; freely rotating knee joints with latches; direct actuation of the
ankles with a spring, release mechanism, and reset motor; wide feet that are shaped to aid
lateral stability; and the simple control algorithm. The biomechanics context of this robot is …
Here we present the design of a passive-dynamics based, fully autonomous, 3-D, bipedal walking robot that uses simple control, consumes little energy, and has human-like morphology and gait. Design aspects covered here include the freely rotating hip joint with angle bisecting mechanism; freely rotating knee joints with latches; direct actuation of the ankles with a spring, release mechanism, and reset motor; wide feet that are shaped to aid lateral stability; and the simple control algorithm. The biomechanics context of this robot is discussed in more detail in [1], and movies of the robot walking are available at Science Online and http://www.tam.cornell.edu/~ruina/powerwalk.html. This robot adds evidence to the idea that passive-dynamic approaches might help design walking robots that are simpler, more efficient and easier to control.
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