An energy-efficient bipedal walking robot

这里的目标是开发一种电动两足机器人，它的行走方式更像人类，而且比之前所有具有类似粗略能力的行走机器人的能源成本更低。机器人的几何形状将松散地基于人体部位。这个机器人将通过追求效率和简单性而不是跟踪轨迹来产生逼真的运动。其他人建造了设计精美的人形行走机器人，平脚，动作经过精心控制，可以一个接一个关节地、每时每刻都能平稳移动。这些机器人的单位重量和单位距离消耗的能量通常是人类的50倍。鲁纳的方法将建立在他的康奈尔实验室最近的两足机器人的基础上，这种机器人具有看起来很自然的步态，所消耗的能量(按比例计算)与人类消耗的能量差不多。康奈尔大学现有的机器人，基于McGeer的被动动力学方法，基本上是棍子和铰链，以一种让人联想到人体的方式排列，并在每只脚离开地面时用一个小马达来伸展脚踝。正在开发的机器人将增加功能，包括站立不动、开始和停止行走、以不同的速度行走和转弯。智力优势：提出的新机器人将检验这样一个普遍假设，即通过保持能量效率和控制简单性至上，机器人很好地完成了人类模仿。更广泛的影响：机器人是科学教育的天然载体。与过去几年一样，康奈尔大学的本科生将参与这项研究。来访的高中生受到了参观实验室的启发。与明尼苏达电子人科学博物馆的合作将继续进行，与媒体的合作也将继续。传播这项研究应该改变那些参与机器人设计的人以及那些参与诊断和矫正人类行走障碍的人的思维模式

The goal here is to develop a powered bipedal robot that walks in a more human-looking manner and with smaller energy cost than all previous walking robots that have similar gross abilities. The geometry of the robot will be loosely based on human body parts. This robot will generate its life-like motions by chasing efficiency and simplicity rather than by tracking trajectories. Others have built beautifully engineered humanoid walking robots with flat feet and with motions that are carefully controlled to move smoothly, joint by joint and at every instant in time. These robots typically use about 50 times as much energy per unit weight and distance as does a person. Ruina's approach will build on his Cornell lab's recent bipedal robot that has a natural-looking gait and which uses (scaled) about as much energy as is used by a human. The existent Cornell robot, based on the `passive dynamic' approach of McGeer, is basically sticks and hinges arranged in a way that is reminiscent of a human body, and with a small motor to extend the ankles as each foot leaves the ground. The robot being developed will add functionality including the ability to stand still, to start and stop walking, to walk at various speeds, and to turn. Intellectual merit: The proposed new robot will test the general hypothesis that robotic human mimicry is well-accomplished by holding energetic efficiency and control simplicity paramount. Broader impact: Robots serve as a natural vehicle of science education. As in past years at Cornell, undergraduate students will be involved in the research. Visiting high-school students are inspired by visits to the lab. Cooperation with the Science Museum of Minnesota Cyborgs exhibit will continue as will cooperation with the media. Dissemination of the should alter the mode of thinking of those involved in the design of robots and also of those involved in the diagnosis and correction of human walking disabilities