Efficient Dynamic Modeling, Numerical Optimal Control and Experimental Results for Various Gaits of a Quadruped Robot

Numerical simulation and optimization of gaits for quadruped robots based on nonlinear multibody dynamics models of legged locomotion have made progress recently. A fully threedimensional dynamical model of Sony’s four-legged robot is used to state an optimal control problem for a symmetric, dynamically stable gait. The optimal control problem is solved by a sparse direct collocation method. Numerical problems related to the high-index differential algebraic equations of motion are avoided by substituting the differential algebraic equations by an equivalent set of reduced dynamics ordinary differential equations. Numerical and experimental results validate the model and the methods used for gait generation.