Modeling of Visco-Elastic Environments for Humanoid Robot Motion Control

This manuscript presents a model of compliant contacts for time-critical humanoid robot motion control. The proposed considers the environment as continuum spring-damper systems, which allows us to compute equivalent contact force and torque that exerts on surface. We show extends linear rotational springs dampers - classically used characterize soft terrains case large surface orientations. is then real-time whole-body control robots walking visco-elastic environments. overall approach validated by simulating motions iCub robot. Furthermore, paper compares strategy state art approaches. In this respect, we investigate terrain compliance makes classical approaches assuming rigid fail. finally analyze robustness presented design with respect non-parametric uncertainty in contact-model.