Quadrupedal Robot Running: Control Synthesis Harnessing Compliance

该奖项的目标是提供一个控制综合框架的反馈法律，利用顺应性，实现敏捷运动在一类机器人四足动物。为了实现这一目标，建模和控制层次结构将运动行为的自然简化模型转化为对机器人的具体控制命令？提出了执行器。如果成功，这项研究将影响许多其他工程和生物系统的研究，这些系统就像有腿的机器人一样，通过与环境的有力、循环的相互作用来实现它们的目的。可交付成果包括运动行为模型；严格表征四足跑步步态循环运动产生和稳定性的分析方法建设性的控制技术和系统的控制律设计工具，最大限度地减少费力的，试错实验；验证程序，以测试控制器在各种运行步态使用广泛接受的性能指标；为K-12教师提供工程学生教育和工程研究经验。这项工作直接解决了当今腿式机器人社区面临的主要创新障碍：系统控制器设计工具，使腿式机器能够可靠有效地执行现实世界的任务。通过这种方式，这项研究工作促进了许多实际应用的进步，包括工业、农业和军事应用，这些应用需要高度移动和通用的机器人平台。从长远来看，这项工作将增加公众对机器人的接受度，并使其更广泛地使用。此外，研究生和本科生将受益于积极参与研究过程。这项工作的一个组成部分是让K-12教师沉浸在工程研究经验中，目的是将这些经验转化为课堂活动，以提高他们基于标准的课程。

The objective of this award is to offer a control synthesis framework for feedback laws that harness compliance to realize agile locomotion in a class of robotic quadrupeds. To achieve this goal, a modeling and control hierarchy that transforms nature-inspired reductive models of locomotion behavior into concrete control commands to the robots? actuators is proposed. If successful, this research effort will impact the study of many other engineered and biological systems, which, like legged robots, accomplish their purpose through forceful, cyclic interactions with their environment. Deliverables include models of locomotion behavior; analytical methods to rigorously characterize cyclic motion generation and stability of quadrupedal running gaits; constructive control techniques and systematic control law design tools that minimize laborious, trial-and-error experimentation; verification procedures to test the controllers in a variety of running gaits using widely accepted performance metrics; and engineering student education and engineering research experiences for K-12 teachers.This work directly addresses a principal barrier to innovation that faces the legged robotics community today: systematic controller design tools that enable legged machines to perform real-world tasks reliably and efficiently. This way, this research effort promotes the advancement of a host of real-life applications, including industrial, agricultural and military applications, which require highly mobile and versatile robot platforms. In the long run, this work will lead to increased public acceptance and more pervasive use of robots. In addition, graduate and undergraduate engineering students will benefit through active participation in the research process. An integral part of this effort is to immerse K-12 teachers in engineering research experiences, with the purpose of translating those experiences into classroom activities to enhance their standards-based curriculum.