Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

A bipedal locomotion system is synthesized to characterize some of the previously overlooked aspects of the locomotion process, specifically standing/balance and initiation and stopping. The locomotion system is described by a three-element three-dimensional model consisting of two lower limbs and an upper body. The system equations of motion are derived using variational methods, and are retained in their nonlinear form. The impulsive contact events of impact of the swing limb with the ground and transfer of support are incorporated into the model. Bipedal locomotion is synthesized through numerical simulations. Several control inputs are studied for establishing and sustaining the standing/balance gait. Subsequent motion is analyzed via phase-space portraits. It is shown that an impulsive torque is sufficient for establishing and controlling the standing/balance gait as well as steady locomotion.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alexander, R. M. 1984. The gaits of bipedal and quadripedal animals . Intl. J. Robot. Res. 3(2): 49–59 .

Chow, C. K., and Jacobson, D. H. 1972. Further studies of human locomotion: Postural stability and control . Math. Biosci. 15: 93–108 .

Easton, T. 1984. Bipedal balance . Robotics Age 6(4): 21–25 .

Eberhart, H. D., and Inman, V. T. 1947. Research study on human locomotion. Technical Report prepared for National Research Council for Prosthetics Devices, Engineering Research Group, University of California .

Greenwood, D. T. 1977. Classical Dynamics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall .

Gubina, F., Hemami, H., and McGhee, R. 1974. On the dynamic stability of biped locomotion . IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 21(2): 102–108 .

Hemami, H., and Stokes, B. T. 1983. A qualitative discussion of mechanisms of feedback and feedforward in the control of locomotion . IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 30(11): 681–688 .

Hirokawa, S. 1989. Normal gait characteristics under temporal and distance constraints . J. Biomed. Eng. 11(6): 449–456 .

Hodgins, J. K., and Raibert, M. H. 1991. Adjusting step length for rough-terrain locomotion . IEEE Trans. Robot. Automat. 7(3): 289–298 .

10.

Hurmuzlu, Y., and Moskowitz, G. D. 1986. The role of impact in the stability of bipedal locomotion . Intl. J. Dyn. Stab. Syst. 1(3): 217–234 .

11.

Hurmuzlu, Y., and Moskowitz, G. D. 1987. Bipedal locomotion stabilized by impact and switching. I. Two- and three-dimensional, three-element models . Intl. J. Dyn. Stab. Syst. 2(2): 73–96 .

12.

McGeer, T. 1990. Passive dynamic walking . Intl. J. Robot. Res. 9(2): 62–82 .

13.

Miura, T., and Shimoyama, I. 1984. Dynamic walk of a biped . Int. J. Robot. Res. 3(2): 60–74 .

14.

Raibert, M., Tzafestas, S., and Tzafestas, C. 1993. Comparative simulation study of three control techniques applied to a biped robot . Proc. of the IEEE Intl. Conf. on Sys. Man and Cybernet. Washington, DC: IEEE, pp. 494–502 .

15.

Reisinger, K. 1993. Bipedal standing/balance—a locomotion gait via impulsive control—with initiation, progression, and stopping. PhD thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University.

16.

Tzafestas, S., Raibert, M., and Tzafestas, C. 1996. Robust sliding-mode control applied to a 5-link biped robot . J. Intell. Robot. Sys.: Theory Applications 15(1): 67–133 .

17.

Vukobratovic, M., and Juricic, D. 1969. Contribution to the synthesis of biped gait . IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 6(1): 1–6 .

18.

Vukobratovic, M., and Potkonjak, V. 1982. Dynamics of Manipulation Robots: Theory and Application, vol. 1 of Scientific Fundamentals of Robotics. Berlin: Springer-Verlag .

19.

Yamashita, T. 1987. A study of dynamics in initiation and stopping of human gait . Proc. of the 7th World Congress: Theory of Machines and Mechanisms. Sevilla: Wiley, pp. 1837–1840 .

20.

Zheng, Y.-F., and Hemami, H. 1984. Impact effects of biped contact with the environment . IEEE Trans. Sys. Man Cybernet. 14(3): 437–443 .

Bipedal Locomotion: Stopping and the Standing/Balance Gait

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References