TITLE:
Turn Control of a Three-Dimensional Quasi-Passive Walking Robot by Utilizing a Mechanical Oscillator
AUTHORS:
Ying Cao, Soichiro Suzuki, Yohei Hoshino
KEYWORDS:
Passive Walking; Turn Control; Mechanical Oscillator; Forced Entrainment
JOURNAL NAME:
Engineering,
Vol.6 No.2,
February
17,
2014
ABSTRACT: A turn control
strategy is proposed in order to improve environmental adaptability of a
quasi-passive walking robot by utilizing a mechanical oscillator. The target
trajectory of the fmechanical oscillator is determined by online
planning of its period, phase, amplitude and angle of the central axis of
oscillation. The motion of the mechanical oscillator is always entrained with the rocking motion of
the robot based on forced entrainment in order to stabilize the robot. The turn
radius can be controlled by adjusting the inclination angle of the central axis
of the mechanical oscillator movement, and the control method is numerically
and experimentally examined. Results
show that the robot can turn with different radius and it is possible for the
robot to walk in various environments.
Finally, the gait of turn is compared with that of straight walking and
analyzed in terms of mechanical work and energy.