Using Co-existing Attractors of a Sensorimotor Loop for the Motion Control of a Humanoid Robot

The implementation of a biped robot gait is a challenging task within the field of mobile robotics. Particularly, when the robot is subject to unknown disturbance in constantly changing terrain, a stable and robust gait is crucial. Regarding the machine together with the controller as an integrated system, the Dynamical Systems Approach yields a new perspective on legged robots. So called Limit Cycle Walkers have shown their inherent stability against moderate disturbances of different kinds because gaits can be constructed as attractors of the dynamical system. Here, we will show how co-existing attractors in neural sensorimotor loops can be used for the construction of robot gaits and for easy switching among behaviours. The results are demonstrated using a humanoid robot with neural control and it is shown that walking and standing upright can be implemented as co-existing attractors of the same pure sensorimotor loop.