• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.477-483
• /
• 2002

This paper deals with a workspace analysis of multi-legged walking robots in velocity domain(velocity workspace analysis). Noting that when robots are holding the same object in multiple cooperating robotic arm system the kinematic structure of the system is basically the same with that of a multi-legged walking robot standing on the ground, we invented a way ot applying the technique for multiple arm system to multi-legged walking robot. An important definition of reaction velocity is made and the bounds of velocities achievable by the moving body with multi-legs is derived from the given bounds on the capabilities of actuators of each legs through Jacobian matrix for given robot configuration. After some assumption of hard-foot-condition is adopted as a contact model between feet of robot and the ground, visualization process for the velocity workspace is proposed. Also, a series of application examples will be presented including continuous walking gaits as well as several different stationary posture of legged walking robots, which validate the usefulness of the proposed technique.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.350-356
• /
• 2004

This paper presents a farce manipulability analysis of multi-legged walking robots, which calculates force or acceleration workspace attainable from joint torque limits of each leg. Based on the observation that the kinematic structure of the multi-legged walking robots is basically the same as that of multiple cooperating robots, we derive the proposed method of analyzing the force manipulability of walking robot. The force acting on the object in multiple cooperating robot systems is taken as reaction force from ground to each robot foot in multi-legged walking robots, which is converted to the force of the body of walking robot by the nature of the reaction force. Note that each joint torque in multiple cooperating robot systems is transformed to the workspace of force or acceleration of the object manipulated by the robots in task space through the Jacobian matrix and grasp matrix. Assuming the torque limits are given in infinite norm-sense, the resultant dynamic manipulability is derived as a polytope. The validity of proposed method is verified by several examples, and the proposed method is believed to be useful for the optimal posture planning and gait planning of walking robots.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.74-79
• /
• 2021

Generally, multi-legged walking robots have excellent mobility in rough and uneven terrain, and they are deployed for the safety of rescuers in various disaster environments. However, as each leg is driven by a number of actuators, it leads to a complicated structure and high power consumption; therefore, it is difficult to put them into practical use. In this article, a new concept is proposed of a walking robot whose legs are driven by a complex linkage structure to overcome the deficiencies of conventional multi-legged walking robots. A double crank-rocker mechanism is proposed, making it possible for one DC motor to actuate the left and right movements of two neighboring thighs of the multi-legged walking robot. Each leg can also move up and down through an improved cam structure. Finally, each mechanism is connected by spur and bevel gears, so that only two DC motors can drive all legs of the walking robot. The feasibility of the designed complex linkage mechanism was verified using the UG NX program. It was confirmed through actual production that the proposed multi-legged walking robot performs the desired motion.

• Journal of IKEEE
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.235-243
• /
• 2012

In this study, we developed two legged multi-joint robot by using wireless servo motor that was applied by wireless sensor network technology, which is widely used recently, and performed an experiment of walking method of two legged multi-joint robot. We constructed the star network with servo motors which were used at each joint of two-legged robot. And we designed the robot for operation by transmission of joint control signal from main control system or by transmission of the status of each joint to the main control system, so it operates with continuously checking the status of joints at same time. We developed the humanoid robot by using wireless digital servo motor which is different from existing servo motor control system, and controlled it by transmitting the information of angles and speeds of robot joints to the motor(node) as a feedback through main control system after connecting power and setting up the IDs to each joint. We solved noisy problem generated from wire and wire length to connection point of the control device by construction of the wireless network instead of using existing control method of wiring, and also solved problem of poor real time response to gait motion by controlling the position with continuous transmission of control signals to each joint. And we found that the effective control of robot is able by performing the simulation on walking motion in advance with the developed control algorithm which was downloaded into installed memory. Also we performed the stable walking with two-legged robot by attaching pressure sensor to robot sole. And we examined the robot gait operated by application of calculated algorithm on robot movement to each joint. In this study, we studied the method of controlling robot gait motion by using wireless servo motors and measured the torque applied to each joint, and found that the developed wireless servo motor by ZigBee sensor network offers easier control of two legged robot gait and better circuit configuration of it than the existing wired control system could do.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.1146-1154
• /
• 2008

This paper presents a method for the acceleration analysis of multi-legged walking robots in consideration of the frictional ground contact. This method is based on both unified dynamic equation for finding the acceleration of a robot's body and constraint equation for satisfying no-slip condition. After the dynamic equation representing relationship between actuator torques and body acceleration, is derived from the force and acceleration relationship between foot and body's gravity center, the constraint equation is formulated to reconfigure the maximum torque boundaries satisfying no-slip condition from given original actuator torque boundaries. From application of the reconfigured torques to the dynamic equation, interested acceleration boundaries are obtained. The approach based on above two equations, is adapted to the changes of degree-of-freedoms of legs as well as friction of ground. And the method provides the maximum translational and rotational acceleration boundaries of body's center that are achievable in every direction without occurring slipping at the contact points or saturating all actuators. Given the torque limits in infinite normsense, the resultant accelerations are derived as a polytope. From the proposed method, we obtained achievable acceleration boundaries of 4-legged and 6-legged walking robot system successfully.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.660-666
• /
• 2011

In this paper, we proposed a Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) to search the optimal link lengths for legged walking robot. In order to apply the PSO algorithm for the proposed, its walking robot kinematic analysis is needed. A crab robot based on four-bar linkage mechanism and Jansen mechanism is implemented in H/W. For the performance index of PSO, the stride length of the legged walking robot is defined, based on the propose kinematic analysis. Comparative simulation results present to illustrate the viability and effectiveness of the proposed method.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.159-164
• /
• 2011

In this study, a crab robot is implemented in H/W based on four-bar linkage mechanism and Jansen mechanism, and its kinematics is analysed. A vision camera is attached to the mechanism, which makes the proposed robot a kind of biologically inspired robot for image acquisition. Three ultrasonic sensors are adopted for obstacle avoidance. In addition, the biologically inspired robot can achieve the mission appointed by a programmer outside, based on RF and Blue-tooth communication module. For the design and implementation of a crab robot, it is need to get joint variable, a foot point, and their relation. Thus, the proposed kinematic analysis is very important process for the design and implementation of legged robots.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.500-507
• /
• 2022

In this study, a motion planning method based on the integer representation of contact status between wheels and the ground is proposed for planning swing motion of a 6×6 wheel-legged robot to cross large obstacles and gaps. Wheel-legged robots can drive on a flat road by wheels and overcome large obstacles by legs. Autonomously crossing large obstacles requires the robot to perform complex motion planning of multi-contacts and wheel-rolling at the same time. The lift-off and touch-down status of wheels and the trajectories of legs should be carefully planned to avoid collision between the robot body and the obstacle. To address this issue, we propose a planning method for swing motion of robot legs. It combines an integer representation of discrete contact status and a trajectory optimization based on the direct collocation method, which results in a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. The planned motion is used to control the joint angles of the articulated legs. The proposed method is verified by the MuJoCo simulation and shows that over 95% and 83% success rate when the height of vertical obstacles and the length of gaps are equal to or less than 1.68 times of the wheel radius and 1.44 times of the wheel diameter, respectively.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.228-238
• /
• 2017

The CALEB10 is a multi-legged biomimetic underwater robot. In the last research, we developed a swimming pattern named ESPG (Extended Swimming Pattern Generator) by observing diving beetle's swimming actions and experimented with a positive buoyancy state in which CALEB10 floats on the water. In this paper, however, we have experimented with CALEB10 in a neutral buoyancy state where it is completely immersed in water for pitch motion control experiment. And we found that CALEB10 was unstably swimming in the pitch direction in the neutral buoyancy state and analyzed that the reason was due to the weight proportion of the legs. In this paper, we propose a pitch motion control method to mimic the pitch motion of diving beetles and to solve the problem of CALEB10 unstably swimming in the pitch direction. To control the pitch motion, we use the method of controlling additional joints while swimming with the ESPG. The method of obtaining propulsive force by the motion of the leg has a problem of giving propulsive force in the reverse direction when swimming in the surge direction, but this new control method has an advantage that a propulsive moment generated by a swimming action only on a target pitch value. To demonstrate validity this new control method, we designed a dynamics-based simulator environment. And the control performance to the target pitch value was verified through simulation and underwater experiments.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.63-71
• /
• 2018

This paper describes a study on posture control of the multi-legged biomimetic underwater robot (CALEB10). Because the underwater environment has a feature that all degrees of freedom are coupled to each other, we designed the posture control algorithm by separating each degree of freedom. Not only should the research on posture control of underwater robots be a precedent study for position control, but it is also necessary to compensate disturbance in each direction. In the research on the yaw directional posture control, we made the drag force generated by the stroke of the left leg and the right leg occur asymmetrically, in order that a rotational moment is generated along the yaw direction. In the composite swimming controller in which the controllers in each direction are combined, we designed the algorithm to determine the control weights in each direction according to the error angle along the yaw direction. The performance of the proposed posture control method is verified by a dynamical simulator and underwater experiments.