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A Simple Yet Effective Whole-Body Locomotion Framework for Quadruped Robots
Gennaro Raiola1, Enrico Mingo Hoffman2, Michele Focchi1
1Dynamic Legged Systems Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
Frontiers in Robotics and AI
|January 27, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel locomotion framework for legged robots that generates diverse gaits without Center of Mass (CoM) trajectory planning. This planner-free approach enhances stability and eliminates the need for drift-prone state estimation.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Control Systems
- Mechatronics
Background:
- Legged robot locomotion relies heavily on Center of Mass (CoM) control for stability and safety.
- Existing whole-body control frameworks often require CoM trajectory planning and accurate state estimation, which can be complex and prone to drift.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a generic, planner-free locomotion framework for legged robots.
- To enable the generation of various gaits without explicit CoM trajectory planning.
- To eliminate the dependency on floating base state estimation for improved robustness.
Main Methods:
- A priority-based whole-body controller integrated with a walking pattern generator.
- A framework that resolves redundancy using a postural task to maintain stable kinematic configurations.
- Implementation without requiring CoM trajectory planning or floating base state estimation.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of diverse gaits, from dynamic (trot) to static (crawl).
- Demonstrated effectiveness in simulations across various terrains, including rough terrain.
- Validation on different quadruped robot platforms.
Conclusions:
- The proposed framework offers a robust and versatile solution for legged robot locomotion.
- Eliminating CoM planning and state estimation simplifies the control architecture and improves reliability.
- The approach is effective for generating a wide range of gaits on varied terrains.
