Study on Quadruped Walking Robot

Though development of a practical walking robot is not easy at all, walking robots have many practical advantages resulting from moving functions peculiar to this type of robots including excellent moving characteristics and working characteristics on uneven land. Paying special attention to the encouraging possibility of the walking robot, the authors have been continuing research and developments for as long as 23 years. It is cited as a worldwide problem that presently, so many antipersonnel mines still remain buried everywhere in the world after the wars injuring many civilians. From humanitarian view points, establishment of a technology which ensures effective removal of mines with safe and inexpensive manner by civilians instead of very dangerous mine removal works done directly by hands by worker is highly desirable. Of specific features shared by walking machines, the authors focused on effectiveness to be developed as the walking robot and have been developing a walking type working robot. This robot can walk freely around mine buried area under extremely severe environments and carry out a series of works such as removal of obstacles before mine removal works, removal of shrubs, mine probing and eventual a mine removal. This paper introduces the walking machines developed by the authors so far, walking type mine removal robot being developed extensively at present and discusses themes and views of development of practical type walking robot in the next generation which ensures stable movement and works on uneven land. Concept of development of a robot which will be engaged in probing and removal of mines from humanitarian view points is discussed too.