This paper presents the design of a novel quadruped robot. The proposed design is characterized by a simple, modular design, and easy interfacing capabilities. The robot is built mostly from off-the-shelf components. The design includes four 3-DOF legs, the robot body and its electronics. The proposed robot is able to traverse rough terrain while carrying additional payloads. Such payloads can ...

Quadrupeds have versatile gait patterns, depending on the locomotion speed, environmental conditions and animal species. These locomotor patterns are generated via the coordination between limbs and are partly controlled by an intraspinal neural network called the central pattern generator (CPG). Although this forms the basis for current control paradigms of interlimb coordination, the mechanis...

In order to realize smooth gait planning and stability control of a quadruped robot, a new controller algorithm based on CPG-ZMP (central pattern generator-zero moment point) is put forward in this paper. To generate smooth gait and shorten the adjusting time of the model oscillation system, a new CPG model controller and its gait switching strategy based on Wilson-Cowan model are presented in ...

This paper presents biologically inspired neural controllers for generating motor patterns in a quadruped robot. Sets of arti cial neural networks are presented which provide 1) pattern generation and gait control, allowing continuous passage from walking to trotting to galloping, 2) control of sitting and lying down behaviors, and 3) control of scratching. The neural controllers consist of set...

In this paper we regard legged locomotion (e.g., running) as adaptive vibration, which is capable of adapting to changes in internal parameters and in the external environment. We propose control concepts for such adaptive running in general, and present a theoretical study of the bounding locomotion of a quadruped robot according to the proposed control concepts. In our control method, a force...

We have been trying to induce a quadruped robot to walk with medium walking speed on irregular terrain based on biological concepts. We propose the essential conditions for stable dynamic walking on irregular terrain in general, and we design the mechanical system and the neural system by comparing biological concepts with those essential conditions described in physical terms. PD-controller at...

In this paper, we propose a scheme for fault detection and tolerance of the hexapod robot locomotion on even terrain. The fault stability margin is defined to represent potential stability which a gait can have in case a sudden fault event occurs to one leg. Based on this, the fault-tolerant quadruped periodic gaits of the hexapod walking over perfectly even terrain are derived. It is demonstra...

We consider the problem of finding optimal gaits for a quadruped robot. Paths are sought which minimize the actuation energy required for walking in an attempt to approximate natural motion. The number of possible gaits for a quadruped is quite large when one considers varied orders of leg motion, different liftoff times, and various ground contact combinations for the legs. The problem is trea...

Legged robots are highly attractive for military purposes such as carrying heavy loads on uneven terrain for long durations because of the higher mobility they give on rough terrain compared to wheeled vehicles/robots. Existing state-of-the-art quadruped robots developed by Boston Dynamics such as LittleDog and BigDog do not have flexible bodies. It can be easily seen that the agility of quadru...