16 research outputs found
Model based methods for the control and planning of running robots
Ankara : The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and the Institute of Engineering and Sciences of Bilkent University, 2009.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2009.Includes bibliographical references leaves 115-122.The Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) model has long been established
as an effective and accurate descriptive model for running animals of widely
differing sizes and morphologies. Not surprisingly, the ability of such a simple
spring-mass model to capture the essence of running motivated several hopping
robot designs as well as the use of the SLIP model as a control target for more
complex legged robot morphologies. Further research on the SLIP model led to
the discovery of several analytic approximations to its normally nonintegrable
dynamics. However, these approximations mostly focus on steady-state running
with symmetric trajectories due to their linearization of gravitational effects,
an assumption that is quickly violated for locomotion on more complex terrain
wherein transient, non-symmetric trajectories dominate. In the first part of the
thesis , we introduce a novel gravity correction scheme that extends on one of the
more recent analytic approximations to the SLIP dynamics and achieves good
accuracy even for highly non-symmetric trajectories. Our approach is based on
incorporating the total effect of gravity on the angular momentum throughout
a single stance phase and allows us to preserve the analytic simplicity of the
approximation to support research on reactive footstep planning for dynamiclegged locomotion. We compare the performance of our method with two other
existing analytic approximations by simulation and show that it outperforms
them for most physically realistic non-symmetric SLIP trajectories while maintaining
the same accuracy for symmetric trajectories. Additionally, this part of
the thesis continues with analytical approximations for tunable stiffness control
of the SLIP model and their motion prediction performance analysis. Similarly,
we show performance improvement for the variable stiffness approximation with
gravity correction method. Besides this, we illustrate a possible usage of approximate
stance maps for the controlling of the SLIP model.
Furthermore, the main driving force behind research on legged robots has always
been their potential for high performance locomotion on rough terrain and the
outdoors. Nevertheless, most existing control algorithms for such robots either
make rigid assumptions about their environments (e.g flat ground), or rely on
kinematic planning with very low speeds. Moreover, the traditional separation of
planning from control often has negative impact on the robustness of the system
against model uncertainty and environment noise. In the second part of the
thesis, we introduce a new method for dynamic, fully reactive footstep planning
for a simplified planar spring-mass hopper, a frequently used dynamic model for
running behaviors. Our approach is based on a careful characterization of the
model dynamics and an associated deadbeat controller, used within a sequential
composition framework. This yields a purely reactive controller with a very
large, nearly global domain of attraction that requires no explicit replanning
during execution. Finally, we use a simplified hopper in simulation to illustrate
the performance of the planner under different rough terrain scenarios and show
that it is robust to both model uncertainty and measurement noise.Arslan, ÖmürM.S
Dynamic Walking: Toward Agile and Efficient Bipedal Robots
Dynamic walking on bipedal robots has evolved from an idea in science fiction to a practical reality. This is due to continued progress in three key areas: a mathematical understanding of locomotion, the computational ability to encode this mathematics through optimization, and the hardware capable of realizing this understanding in practice. In this context, this review article outlines the end-to-end process of methods which have proven effective in the literature for achieving dynamic walking on bipedal robots. We begin by introducing mathematical models of locomotion, from reduced order models that capture essential walking behaviors to hybrid dynamical systems that encode the full order continuous dynamics along with discrete footstrike dynamics. These models form the basis for gait generation via (nonlinear) optimization problems. Finally, models and their generated gaits merge in the context of real-time control, wherein walking behaviors are translated to hardware. The concepts presented are illustrated throughout in simulation, and experimental instantiation on multiple walking platforms are highlighted to demonstrate the ability to realize dynamic walking on bipedal robots that is agile and efficient
Unified Motion Planner for Walking, Running, and Jumping Using the Three-Dimensional Divergent Component of Motion
Running and jumping are locomotion modes that allow legged robots to rapidly traverse great distances and overcome difficult terrain. In this article, we show that the 3-D divergent component of motion (3D-DCM) framework, which was successfully used for generating walking trajectories in previous works, retains its validity and coherence during flight phases, and, therefore, can be used for planning running and jumping motions. We propose a highly efficient motion planner that generates stable center-of-mass (CoM) trajectories for running and jumping with arbitrary contact sequences and time parametrizations. The proposed planner constructs the complete motion plan as a sequence of motion phases that can be of different types: stance, flight, transition phases, etc. We introduce a unified formulation of the CoM and DCM waypoints at the start and end of each motion phase, which makes the framework extensible and enables the efficient waypoint computation in matrix and algorithmic form. The feasibility of the generated reference trajectories is demonstrated by extensive whole-body simulations with the humanoid robot TORO
Bio-Inspired Robotics
Modern robotic technologies have enabled robots to operate in a variety of unstructured and dynamically-changing environments, in addition to traditional structured environments. Robots have, thus, become an important element in our everyday lives. One key approach to develop such intelligent and autonomous robots is to draw inspiration from biological systems. Biological structure, mechanisms, and underlying principles have the potential to provide new ideas to support the improvement of conventional robotic designs and control. Such biological principles usually originate from animal or even plant models, for robots, which can sense, think, walk, swim, crawl, jump or even fly. Thus, it is believed that these bio-inspired methods are becoming increasingly important in the face of complex applications. Bio-inspired robotics is leading to the study of innovative structures and computing with sensory–motor coordination and learning to achieve intelligence, flexibility, stability, and adaptation for emergent robotic applications, such as manipulation, learning, and control. This Special Issue invites original papers of innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, and novel applications and business models relevant to the selected topics of ``Bio-Inspired Robotics''. Bio-Inspired Robotics is a broad topic and an ongoing expanding field. This Special Issue collates 30 papers that address some of the important challenges and opportunities in this broad and expanding field
Running synthesis and control for monopods and bipeds with articulated
Bibliography: p. 179-20
Biologically Inspired Deadbeat control for running on 3D stepping stones
This paper enhances the Biologically Inspired Dead-beat
(BID) controller from [1], to not only enable three-dimensional bipedal running on a horizontal plane but also on 3D steppingstones. Further contributions of the paper are explicit foot step targeting during running, leg cross-over avoidance and the embedding of the BID controller into a QP-based wholebody controller. The BID controller is based on the encoding of leg forces and CoM trajectories during stance as polynomial splines, allowing for intuitive and primarily analytical controller design. It allows a real-time implementation, is highly robust against perturbations and enables versatile running patterns. The performance of the control framework is tested in various simulations for a bipedal point-mass model and an articulated multi-body model of the humanoid robot Toro
Come to Azania
Includes abstract.This story had its seeds planted in my head three years ago, when I was 22. I wanted to write something distinctly South African, but also universal, so that the story could serve as satire, as a piece of local speculative fiction
A declaration of caring: Towards ecological masculinism
This dissertation argues that the social and environmental problems we face are primarily the result of patriarchal or ‘malestream’ norms. These norms are constructed on hypermasculinist ways of being, thinking and doing that inhibit the growth and development of sustainable principles and practices. Responding to this assertion and following in the footsteps of deep ecology, social ecology and ecological feminism, the study brings masculinities concerns to the heart of the human/Nature relationship while also bringing concerns for society and the environment to the ways we think about men in the modern West. Further, it argues that if we are to achieve a truly sustainable future, then we must encourage men to reawaken their innate care. The dissertation declares that all men are born good and possess an infinite capacity to care and be caring. It is however recognised that these innate capacities for men to care and be caring are suppressed by ‘men’s oppression’ and that this oppression can prevent men from expressing their fullest humanness to the detriment of all Others and themselves. The dissertation recommends that men develop emotional competencies along with their intellect and intuition in order to authentically nurture the relational space between Others and themselves. Building on feminist care theory, a theoretical framework termed ecological masculinism is introduced, which facilitates modern Western men to care for and be caring towards society, Nature and the self—concurrently. The dissertation constructs a theoretical framework for ecological masculinism that is accompanied by a plurality of ecomasculine praxes. This ecologised masculinities theory and praxes instigates a new conversation in environmental philosophy that facilitates the rise of ‘ecomen’ who serve important roles in forging a deep green future for all of life on Earth