Design of topology optimized compliant legs for bio-inspired quadruped robots

Abstract

Robotic legs are an important component of the quadruped robot for achieving different motion gaits. Although the conventional rigid-link-based legs can generally perform robust motions, they still have the issues with poor sealing when operating in complex and liquid terrains. To cope with this problem, fully compliant legs with monolithic structure have been introduced in recent years to improve the system compactness and structural compliance of quadruped robots. In this article, we present a topology-optimization-based method to achieve efficient design of compliant robotic legs. In order to balance the structural stiffness and bending flexibility of the realized leg, a multi-objective optimization algorithm is utilized. A series of design cases are presented to illustrate the design principle and analytical procedure of the proposed method. In addition, experimental evaluation is also performed, and the results have demonstrated that, a quadruped robot with the optimized legs can successfully achieve stable and continuous straight-line walking motions.

Design of Low-Cost Modular Bioinspired Electric-Pneumatic Actuator (EPA) Driven Legged Robots

“…Previous studies on EPA-based hopping robots have demonstrated the benefits of combining passive and active impedance, showcasing improvements in efficiency, robustness, and controller generalization [28][29][30][31]. This approach leverages the body as a computational resource, incorporating intelligence into the mechanical design, particularly through the use of soft materials, termed "mechanical intelligence" [32][33][34][35][36]. Moreover, incorporating PAMs into the actuation system facilitates their seamless integration into various configurations within the robot structure, such as mono-articular or bi-articular arrangements [31].…”

Design of Low-Cost Modular Bio-Inspired Electric–Pneumatic Actuator (EPA)-Driven Legged Robots

“…Previous studies on EPA-based hopping robots have demonstrated the benefits of combining passive and active impedance, showcasing improvements in efficiency, robustness, and controller generalization [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. This approach leverages the body as a computational resource, incorporating intelligence into the mechanical design, particularly through the use of soft materials, termed “mechanical intelligence” [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Moreover, incorporating PAMs into the actuation system facilitates their seamless integration into various configurations within the robot structure, such as mono-articular or bi-articular arrangements [ 31 ].…”

Dendritic Growth Optimization: A Novel Nature-Inspired Algorithm for Real-World Optimization Problems

“…Moreover, problems in real-world applications are rarely linear or noise-free, making it challenging for these classical techniques to deliver optimal solutions consistently. Nature-inspired optimization methods have gained prominence due to their ability to address these limitations [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Algorithms like Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization, Ant Colony Optimization, and Simulated Annealing draw inspiration from biological, ecological, and physical processes.…”