Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator

In recent years, many studies have shown that soft robots with elastic actuators enable robust interaction with the environment. Compliant joints can protect mechanical systems and provide better dynamic performance, thus offering huge potential for further developments of humanoid robots. This pape...

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Main Authors: Hongxi Zhu, Ulrike Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-06-01
Series:Robotics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/3/82
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author Hongxi Zhu
Ulrike Thomas
author_facet Hongxi Zhu
Ulrike Thomas
author_sort Hongxi Zhu
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, many studies have shown that soft robots with elastic actuators enable robust interaction with the environment. Compliant joints can protect mechanical systems and provide better dynamic performance, thus offering huge potential for further developments of humanoid robots. This paper proposes a new biped robot. The new robot combines a torque sensor-based active elastic hip and a spring-based passive elastic knee/ankle. In the first part, the mechanical design is introduced, and in the second part, the kinematics and dynamics capabilities are described. Furthermore, we introduce a new extended capture-point-based walking pattern generator that calculates footstep positions, which are used as input for the controller of our new biped robot. The main contribution of this article is the novel mechanical design and an extended walking pattern generator. The new design offers a unique solution for cable-driven bipeds to achieve both balancing and walking. Meanwhile, the new walking pattern generator can generate smooth desired curves, which is an improvement over traditional generators that use a constant zero-moment-point (ZMP). A simple cartesian controller is applied to test the performance of the walking pattern generator. Although the robot has been built, all experiments regarding the pattern generator are still simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. The focus of this work is to analyze the mechanical design and show the capabilities of the robot by applying a new pattern generator.
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spelling doaj.art-d87e0d18488645f6bff01be9a6d4ad162023-11-18T12:28:55ZengMDPI AGRobotics2218-65812023-06-011238210.3390/robotics12030082Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern GeneratorHongxi Zhu0Ulrike Thomas1Robotics and Human-Machine Interaction Lab, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Str. 70, 09126 Chemnitz, GermanyRobotics and Human-Machine Interaction Lab, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Str. 70, 09126 Chemnitz, GermanyIn recent years, many studies have shown that soft robots with elastic actuators enable robust interaction with the environment. Compliant joints can protect mechanical systems and provide better dynamic performance, thus offering huge potential for further developments of humanoid robots. This paper proposes a new biped robot. The new robot combines a torque sensor-based active elastic hip and a spring-based passive elastic knee/ankle. In the first part, the mechanical design is introduced, and in the second part, the kinematics and dynamics capabilities are described. Furthermore, we introduce a new extended capture-point-based walking pattern generator that calculates footstep positions, which are used as input for the controller of our new biped robot. The main contribution of this article is the novel mechanical design and an extended walking pattern generator. The new design offers a unique solution for cable-driven bipeds to achieve both balancing and walking. Meanwhile, the new walking pattern generator can generate smooth desired curves, which is an improvement over traditional generators that use a constant zero-moment-point (ZMP). A simple cartesian controller is applied to test the performance of the walking pattern generator. Although the robot has been built, all experiments regarding the pattern generator are still simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. The focus of this work is to analyze the mechanical design and show the capabilities of the robot by applying a new pattern generator.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/3/82bipedmechanical designkinematics
spellingShingle Hongxi Zhu
Ulrike Thomas
Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
Robotics
biped
mechanical design
kinematics
title Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
title_full Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
title_fullStr Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
title_short Mechanical Design of a Biped Robot FORREST and an Extended Capture-Point-Based Walking Pattern Generator
title_sort mechanical design of a biped robot forrest and an extended capture point based walking pattern generator
topic biped
mechanical design
kinematics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/12/3/82
work_keys_str_mv AT hongxizhu mechanicaldesignofabipedrobotforrestandanextendedcapturepointbasedwalkingpatterngenerator
AT ulrikethomas mechanicaldesignofabipedrobotforrestandanextendedcapturepointbasedwalkingpatterngenerator