Intelligent Walking of Humans and Robots

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In the first phase of the project, it was shown that a Virtual Pivot Point (VPP) arises during human gait even when walking over a covered unevenness of the underground. Such a VPP is not observed in the humanoid robot Lola, given the current control strategies implemented. Therefore, the objective of the second phase of the proposal will be to discover if the appearance of a VPP during walking is a controlled or controllable goal or if it is intrinsic to the dynamic interplay in the musculoskeletal system. To investigate this fundamental question, further analysis of the human gait will be performed (Part A) on one hand and, on the other hand, research will be conducted to discover how a related control strategy can be built for humanoid robots (Part B). In particular, it will be interesting to understand the possible tuning parameters enabling to generate or modify the VPP. Thus, in Part A, walking conditions will be created with the aim to annihilate the appearance of a VPP (e.g by walking backwards, walking on stilts or while fulfilling additional tasks). Additionally, we will measure the gait of neurologically sick patients (Parkinson and multiple sclerosis) in order to analyze how such a condition modifies and annihilates the VPP. In Part B, the control strategy will be adapted, modified (for instance by relaxing the constraints on the ZMP-constraint during the planning) or redefined in order to generate a VPP during the gait of a humanoid robot. These new control strategies will be first investigated on simple models (such as the BSLIP model) and will then be implemented in the planning and control of the Lola robot.