We describe a whole-body dynamic walking controller implemented as a compact, convex quadratic program. The controller minimizes an optimal control condition on a simple model of the walking system while respecting the dynamic, input, and contact constraints of the full robot dynamics. By exploiting sparsity and temporal structure in the optimization with an active-set algorithm, we surpass the...

This paper addresses the control of a planar, biped robot with one degree of underactuation. Previous work has designed controllers that induce provably, exponentially stable, periodic walking motions at fixed, pre-determined walking rates. These controllers operate in continuous-time during the single support phase of the robot. The present paper shows how to design an event-based PI controlle...

Humanoid robots base their appearance on the human body (Goddard et al., 1992; Kanehira et al., 2002; Konno et al., 2000). Minimalist constructions have at least a torso with a head, arms or legs, while more elaborated ones include devices that assemble, for example, human face parts, such as eyes, mouth, and nose, or even include materials similar to skin. Humanoid robots are systems with a ve...

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Human Walk Chapter 3: Study of Robot Leg Mechanisms 3.1 Effectiveness of leg joints relating to the walking. 3.2 Locations of leg joints. 3.3 Movable extent of leg joints. 3.4 Dimension, weight and center of gravity of a leg. 3.5 Torque placed on leg joints during the walking. 3.6 Sensors relating to the walking. 3.7 Grounding impact on leg joints during the w...

Locomotor malfunction represents a major problem in some neurological disorders like stroke and spinal cord injury. Robot-assisted walking devices have been used during rehabilitation of patients with these ailments for regaining and improving walking ability. Previous studies showed the advantage of brain-computer interface (BCI) based robot-assisted training combined with physical therapy in ...

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the capacity of Model Predictive Control to generate stable walking motions without the use of predefined foot steps. Building up on well-known Model Predictive Control schemes for walking motion generation, we show that a minimal modification of these schemes allows designing an online walking motion generator which can track a given reference speed of ...

A second prototype of biped walking robot, named as EPWAR2 (Electropneumatic WAlking Robot), has been designed and built at LARM (Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics) in Cassino. In addition to the performances of previous prototype EP-WAR, EP-WAR2 is able to climb stairs because of a new actuation system. A suitable programming of the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) has been based on s...

This paper discusses the general concept of the Super Mechano-System, or SMS and its anticipated applications. The SMS is a new type of robot system, which can transform its shape and also its internal control system in accordance with the given tasks. Snake robots, running and walking robot with manipulation function, group robots, and unified and reconfigurable robots are the three main examp...

This paper presents neural network (NN) control of planar four-legged walking robot. The control system consists of a neural controller, standard PD controller and walking robot. Proposed NN is employed as an inverse controller of the robot. In addition to feedforward connections from the input layer to the hidden layer and from the hidden layer to the output layer, there is also feedback conne...