Energy Efficiency of Legged Robot Locomotion With Elastically Suspended Loads

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Ackerman ◽  
Justin Seipel
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Legged Robot ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Suspended Loads

Energy Efficiency of Legged Robot Locomotion With Elastically-Suspended Loads Over a Range of Suspension Stiffnesses

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Ackerman ◽  
Xingye Da ◽  
Justin Seipel
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Simple Model ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Legged Robot ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Cost Of Locomotion ◽  
Energy Cost Of Locomotion ◽  
Suspended Loads

Elastically suspending a load from humans and animals can increase the energy efficiency of legged locomotion and load carrying. Similarly, elastically-suspended loads have the potential to increase the energy efficiency of legged robot locomotion. External loads and the inherent mass of a legged robot, such as batteries, electronics, and fuel, can be elastically-suspended from the robot chassis with a passive compliant suspension system, reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. In prior work, we developed a simple model to examine the effect of elastically-suspended loads on the energy cost of locomotion from first principles. In this paper, we present experimental results showing the energy cost of locomotion for a simple hexapod robot over a range of suspension stiffness values. Elastically-suspended loads were shown to reduce the energy cost of locomotion by up to 20% versus a rigidly-attached load. We compare the experimental results to the theoretical results predicted by the simple model.

Energetic and Dynamic Analysis of Multifrequency Legged Robot Locomotion With an Elastically Suspended Load

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingye Da ◽  
Jeffrey Ackerman ◽  
Justin Seipel
Keyword(s):  
Natural Frequency ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Legged Locomotion ◽  
Suspended Load ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Legged Robot ◽  
Multiple Frequency ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Suspended Loads

Elastically suspended loads can reduce the energetic cost and peak forces of legged robot locomotion. However, legged locomotion frequently exhibits multiple frequency modes due to variable leg contact times, body pitch and roll, and transient locomotion dynamics. We used a simple hexapod robot to investigate the effect of multiple frequency components on the energetic cost, dynamics, and peak forces of legged robot locomotion using a high-speed motion tracking system and the fast Fourier transform (FFT). The trajectories of the robot body and the suspended load revealed that the robot was excited by both a body pitching frequency and the primary locomotion frequency. Both frequency modes affected the dynamics of the legged robot as the natural frequency of the elastic load suspension was varied. When the natural frequency of the load suspension was reduced below the primary locomotion and body pitching frequencies, the robot consumed less average power with an elastically suspended load versus a rigidly attached load. To generalize the experimental results more broadly, a modified double-mass coupled-oscillator model with experimental parameters was shown to qualitatively predict the energetic cost and dynamics of legged robot locomotion with an elastically suspended load. The experimental results and the theoretical model could help researchers better understand locomotion with elastically suspended loads and design load suspension systems that are optimized to reduce the energetic cost and peak forces of legged locomotion.

A Distributed Neural Network Architecture for Hexapod Robot Locomotion

1992 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall D. Beer ◽  
Hillel J. Chiel ◽  
Roger D. Quinn ◽  
Kenneth S. Espenschied ◽  
Patrik Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Real World ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Command Neuron ◽  
Legged Robot ◽  
Hexapod Robot ◽  
Neural Network Architecture ◽  
Insect Locomotion ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Continuous Range

We present fully distributed neural network architecture for controlling the locomotion of a hexapod robot. The design of this network is directly based on work on the neuroethology of insect locomotion. Previously, we demonstrated in simulation that this controller could generate a continuous range of statically stable insect-like gaits as the activity of a single command neuron was varied and that it was robust to a variety of lesions. We now report that the controller can be utilized to direct the locomotion of an actual six-legged robot, and that it exhibits a range of gaits and degree of robustness in the real world that is quite similar to that observed in simulation.

Detecting Usable Planar Regions for Legged Robot Locomotion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Bertrand ◽  
Inho Lee ◽  
Bhavyansh Mishra ◽  
Duncan Calvert ◽  
Jerry Pratt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Legged Robot ◽  
Robot Locomotion ◽  
Planar Regions
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