Magnetorheologically Damped Compliant Foot for Legged Robotic Application

Kostamo, Esa; Focchi, Michele; Kostamo, Jari; Semini, Claudio; Buchli, Jonas; Pietola, Matti; Caldwell, Darwin G.

doi:10.1115/1.4025966

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The black dashed line of the top plot in Figure 9 shows how a low initial impact peak can be combined with a low settling time. While this is a very simple control law, more sophisticated modulations are possible, such as for example the skyhook controller that we implemented in Kostamo et al (2013) for a semi-active magneto-rheological damper.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards versatile legged robots through active impedance control

Semini

Barasuol

Boaventura

et al. 2015

The International Journal of Robotics Research

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154

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Robots with legs and arms have the potential to support humans in dangerous, dull or dirty tasks. A major motivation behind research on such robots is their potential versatility. However, these robots come at a high price in mechanical and control complexity. Hence, until they can demonstrate a clear advantage over their simpler counterparts, robots with arms and legs will not fulfill their true potential. In this paper, we discuss the opportunities for versatile robots that arise by actively controlling the mechanical impedance of joints and particularly legs. In contrast to passive elements such as springs, active impedance is achieved by torque-controlled joints allowing real-time adjustment of stiffness and damping. Adjustable stiffness and damping in real-time is a fundamental building block towards versatility. Experiments with our 80 kg hydraulic quadruped robot HyQ demonstrate that active impedance alone (i.e. no springs in the structure) can successfully emulate passively compliant elements during highly dynamic locomotion tasks (running, jumping and hopping); and that no springs are needed to protect the actuation system. Here we present results of a flying trot, also referred to as a running trot. To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first time a flying trot has been successfully implemented on a robot without passive elements such as springs. A critical discussion on the pros and cons of active impedance concludes the paper. This article is an extension of our previous work presented at the International Symposium on Robotics Research (ISRR) 2013.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards versatile legged robots through active impedance control

Semini

Barasuol

Boaventura

et al. 2015

The International Journal of Robotics Research

Self Cite

154

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“…The other work is the HyQ robotic leg, in which a magnetorheological (MR) damper was placed in the distal segment of the leg. The primary aim here was to dampen unwanted oscillations at touchdown by dissipating the impact kinetic energy, and thereby to improve the traction between the foot tip and the ground [84,116]. In addition, an efficient activation mechanism for the MR damper may be required to avoid hindering desired leg movements and, meanwhile, minimizing the power consumption of the damper itself [117].…”

Section: Dampingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the Exploitation of Physical Compliance in Segmented and Electrically Actuated Robotic Legs: A Review Focused on Elastic Mechanisms

Chen

Liang

Zhu

et al. 2019

Sensors

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Physical compliance has been increasingly used in robotic legs, due to its advantages in terms of the mechanical regulation of leg mechanics and energetics and the passive response to abrupt external disturbances during locomotion. This article presents a review of the exploitation of physical compliance in robotic legs. Particular attention has been paid to the segmented, electrically actuated robotic legs, such that a comparable analysis can be provided. The utilization of physical compliance is divided into three main categories, depending on the setting locations and configurations, namely, (1) joint series compliance, (2) joint parallel compliance, and (3) leg distal compliance. With an overview of the representative work related to each category, the corresponding working principles and implementation processes of various physical compliances are explained. After that, we analyze in detail some of the structural characteristics and performance influences of the existing designs, including the realization method, compliance profile, damping design, and quantitative changes in terms of mechanics and energetics. In parallel, the design challenges and possible future works associated with physical compliance in robotic legs are also identified and proposed. This article is expected to provide useful paradigmatic implementations and design guidance for physical compliance for researchers in the construction of novel physically compliant robotic legs.

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“…The control algorithm is based on the assumed mode Lagrangian dynamic model of the system. According to the hybrid system theory [15], the dynamic of the mechanism is divided in the two different phases. In the flying phase (Fig.…”

Section: B Cosimulated Machinery Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

FLEGX: A bioinspired design for a jumping humanoid leg

D’Imperio

Ludovico

Pizzamiglio

et al. 2017

2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

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Robotics in the last decades is moving towards bioinspired solutions in order to develop systems increasingly integrated with the human environment. Among them, legged robots fascinates more and more researchers thanks to their ability of moving in unstructured environment such as the ones typical of earthquakes, where in the near future robots are planned to be send to help humans while performing dangerous tasks. On the base of this findings, the authors propose a novel concept for a jumping humanoid leg, based on the key role played from the structural flexibility. The geometric and dynamic features of this leg have been selected thanks to a targeted set of numerical simulations. An extensive campaign of experimental tests useful for the validation of the numerical model here presented will be a matter of future works.

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Magnetorheologically Damped Compliant Foot for Legged Robotic Application

Cited by 19 publications

References 11 publications

Towards versatile legged robots through active impedance control

Towards versatile legged robots through active impedance control

Towards the Exploitation of Physical Compliance in Segmented and Electrically Actuated Robotic Legs: A Review Focused on Elastic Mechanisms

FLEGX: A bioinspired design for a jumping humanoid leg

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