Research on Omnidirectional Gait Switching and Attitude Control in Hexapod Robots

To tackle the challenges of poor stability during real-time random gait switching and precise trajectory control for hexapod robots under limited stride and steering conditions, a novel real-time replanning gait switching control strategy based on an omnidirectional gait and fuzzy inference is proposed, along with an attitude control method based on the single-neuron adaptive proportional-integral-derivative (PID). To start, a kinematic model of a hexapod robot was developed through the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) kinematics analysis, linking joint movement parameters to the end foot's endpoint pose, which formed the foundation for designing various gaits, including omnidirectional and compound gaits. Incorporating an omnidirectional gait could effectively resolve the challenge of precise trajectory control for the hexapod robot under limited stride and steering conditions. Next, a real-time replanning gait switching strategy based on an omnidirectional gait and fuzzy inference was introduced to tackle the issue of significant impacts and low stability encountered during gait transitions. Finally, in view of further enhancing the stability of the hexapod robot, an attitude adjustment algorithm based on the single-neuron adaptive PID was presented. Extensive experiments confirmed the effectiveness of this approach. The results show that our approach enabled the robot to switch gaits seamlessly in real time, effectively addressing the challenge of precise trajectory control under limited stride and steering conditions; moreover, it significantly improved the hexapod robot's dynamic stability during its motion, enabling it to adapt to complex and changing environments.