Dynamic bipedal robots, which are capable of versatile behaviour, are rare. Most bipedal robots are either versatile and static or dynamic and limited to specific gaits. Over the last twenty years the bio-inspired spring mass model became a versatile template for bipedal walking and running gaits with many studies motivated by its high potential for versatile robot locomotion. However the chara...

In this paper, humanoid gait generation is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem with multiconstraint based on probability distribution models. Under this framework, an estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) based gait optimization approach has been developed to speed up searching in high dimensional coupling space constructed by the permutation of optimization parameters to ...

In the early 1950s, von Holst and Mittelstaedt proposed that motor commands copied within the central nervous system (efference copy) help to distinguish ‘reafference’ activity (afference activity due to self-generated motion) from ‘exafference’ activity (afference activity due to external stimulus). In addition, an efference copy can be also used to compare it with the actual sensory feedback ...

This letter presents a new predictive control architecture for high-dimensional robotic systems. As opposed to conventional Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach locomotion that formulates hierarchical sequence of optimization problems, the proposed work single problem posed over hierarchy models, and is thus named Hierarchy (MHPC). MHPC formulated as multi-phase receding-horizon Trajectory O...

It is widely known that an appropriately built unpowered bipedal robot can walk down inclined surface with a passive steady gait. The features of such gait are determined by the robot's geometry and inertial properties, as well slope angle. energy needed to keep biped moving steadily comes from gravitational potential it descends surface. study natural motions could lead ideas for managing acti...

We test the hypothesis that: (1) Optic flow can be used to detect significant environmental features during locomotion in a biped, even given significant up and down movement and jarring of the robot during locomotion. (2) Reliable detection is only possible if a prediction of the expected optic flow field is made at each instance. This prediction should be driven by the phase of the robot's ga...

Human-inspired musculoskeletal design of bipedal robots o ers great potential towards enhanced dynamic and energy-e cient locomotion but imposes also major challenges on their control. In this paper we present an analytical model-based controller that takes into account the system's complex musculoskeletal actuation dynamics in order to fully exploit the intrinsic dynamics. The e ectiveness of ...

Stability of bipedal locomotion is analyzed using a model of a planar biped written in the framework of systems with unilateral constraints. Based on this model, two different stable walking gaits are derived: one which fulfills the widely used criterion of the Zero Moment Point (ZMP) and another one violating this criterion. Both gaits are determined using systematic model-based designs. The m...

Methods for modeling, simulating and optimizing the dynamics, stability and performance of legged robot locomotion are discussed in this paper. It is demonstrated how these tools are used in the design, implementation and operation of a humanoid robot. The selection and integration of fundamental hardand software needed for autonomous operation and high agility is presented for a recently devel...