Dynamic compliance of energy-saving legged elastic parallel joints for quadruped robots: design and realization

Abstract

Achieving dynamic compliance for energy-efficient legged robot motion is a longstanding challenge. Although recent predictive control methods based on single-rigid-body models can generate dynamic motion, they all assume infinite energy, making them unsuitable for prolonged robot operation. Addressing this issue necessitates a mechanical structure with energy storage and a dynamic control strategy that incorporates feedback to ensure stability. This work draws inspiration from the efficiency of bio-inspired muscle–tendon networks and proposes a controllable torsion spring leg structure. The design integrates a spring-loaded inverted pendulum model and adopts feedback delays and yield springs to enhance the delay effects. A leg control model that incorporates motor loads is developed to validate the response and dynamic performance of a leg with elastic joints. This model provides torque to the knee joint, effectively reducing the robot’s energy consumption through active or passive control strategies. The benefits of the proposed approach in agile maneuvering of quadruped robot legs in a realistic scenario are demonstrated to validate the dynamic motion performance of the leg with elastic joints with the advantage of energy-efficient legs.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

dynamic responsiveness / energy dissipation / legged locomotion / parallel joints / quadruped robot

References

[1] Raibert M, Blankespoor K, Nelson G, Playter R. Bigdog, the rough-terrain quadruped robot. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 2008, 41(2): 10822–10825

[2] LiuX. Harnessing compliance in the design and control of running robots. Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree. Newark: The University of Delaware, 2017

[3] Hutter M, Gehring C, Höpflinger M A, Blösch M, Siegwart R. Toward combining speed, efficiency, versatility, and robustness in an autonomous quadruped. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2014, 30(6): 1427–1440

[4] Wensing P M, Wang A, Seok S, Otten D, Lang J, Kim S. Proprioceptive actuator design in the MIT Cheetah: impact mitigation and high-bandwidth physical interaction for dynamic legged robots. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2017, 33(3): 509–522

[5] Hutter M, Gehring C, Lauber A, Gunther F, Bellicoso C D, Tsounis V, Fankhauser P, Diethelm R, Bachmann S, Bloesch M, Kolvenbach H, Bjelonic M, Isler L, Meyer K. Anymal-toward legged robots for harsh environments. Advanced Robotics, 2017, 31(17): 918–931

[6] Koco E, Mirkovic D, Kovačić Z. Hybrid compliance control for locomotion of electrically actuated quadruped robot. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 2019, 94(3–4): 537–563

[7] Liu X, Rossi A, Poulakakis I. A switchable parallel elastic actuator and its application to leg design for running robots. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2018, 23(6): 2681–2692

[8] Sharbafi M A, Yazdanpanah M J, Ahmadabadi M N, Seyfarth A. Parallel compliance design for increasing robustness and efficiency in legged locomotion–theoretical background and applications. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2021, 26(1): 335–346

[9] Mazumdar A, Spencer S J, Hobart C, Salton J, Quigley M, Wu T F, Bertrand S, Pratt J, Buerger S P. Parallel elastic elements improve energy efficiency on the STEPPR bipedal walking robot. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2017, 22(2): 898–908

[10] Ashtiani M S, Aghamaleki Sarvestani A, Badri-Spröwitz A. Hybrid parallel compliance allows robots to operate with sensorimotor delays and low control frequencies. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2021, 8: 645748

[11] Yin X C, Yan J C, Wen S, Zhang J T. Spring-linkage integrated mechanism design for jumping robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2022, 158: 104268

[12] Ruppert F, Badri-Spröwitz A. Series elastic behavior of biarticular muscle-tendon structure in a robotic leg. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2019, 13: 64

[13] Heim S, Millard M, Le Mouel C, Badri-Spröwitz A. A little damping goes a long way: a simulation study of how damping influences task-level stability in running. Biology Letters, 2020, 16(9): 20200467

[14] Grimminger F, Meduri A, Khadiv M, Viereck J, Wüthrich M, Naveau M, Berenz V, Heim S, Widmaier F, Flayols T, Fiene J, Badri-Spröwitz A, Righetti L. An open torque-controlled modular robot architecture for legged locomotion research. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2020, 5(2): 3650–3657

[15] Rond J J, Cardani M C, Campbell M I, Hurst J W. Mitigating peak impact forces by customizing the passive foot dynamics of legged robots. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 2020, 12(5): 051010

[16] YesilevskiyY, GanZ Y, RemyC D. Optimal configuration of series and parallel elasticity in a 2d monoped. In: Proceedings of 2016 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Stockholm: IEEE, 2016: 1360–1365

[17] AmbroseE, Ames A D. Improved performance on moving-mass hopping robots with parallel elasticity. In: Proceedings of 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Paris: IEEE, 2020: 2457–2463

[18] PiovanG, Byl K. Approximation and control of the slip model dynamics via partial feedback linearization and two-element leg actuation strategy. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2016: 399–412

[19] YangJ J, Sun H, AnH, WangC H. Impact mitigation for dynamic legged robots with steel wire transmission using nonlinear active compliance control. In: Proceedings of 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Xi’an: IEEE, 2021: 2525–2531

[20] Zhu Y G, Zhou S J, Gao D X, Liu Q. Synchronization of non-linear oscillators for neurobiologically inspired control on a bionic parallel waist of legged robot. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 2019, 13: 59

[21] Zhu Y G, Zhang L, Manoonpong P. Generic mechanism for waveform regulation and synchronization of oscillators: an application for robot behavior diversity generation. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, 2022, 52(6): 4495–4507

[22] Sharbafi M A, Yazdanpanah M J, Ahmadabadi M N, Seyfarth A. Parallel compliance design for increasing robustness and efficiency in legged locomotion–theoretical background and applications. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2021, 26(1): 335–346

[23] Park H W, Wensing P M, Kim S. High-speed bounding with the MIT Cheetah 2: control design and experiments. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 2017, 36(2): 167–192

[24] KolvenbachH, Hampp E, BartonP, ZenklR, HutterM. Towards jumping locomotion for quadruped robots on the moon. In: Proceedings of 2019 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Macau: IEEE, 2019: 5459–5466

[25] Zhang C, Zou W, Ma L P, Wang Z Q. Biologically inspired jumping robots: a comprehensive review. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2020, 124: 103362

[26] KauN, Schultz A, FerranteN, SladeP. Stanford doggo: an open-source, quasi-direct-drive quadruped. In: Proceedings of 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Montreal: IEEE, 2019: 6309–6315

[27] RobertsS, Koditschek D E. Mitigating energy loss in a robot hopping on a physically emulated dissipative substrate. In: Proceedings of 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Montreal: IEEE, 2019: 6763–6769

[28] HaldaneD W, Plecnik M, YimJ K, FearingR S. A power modulating leg mechanism for monopedal hopping. In: Proceedings of 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Daejeon: IEEE, 2016: 4757–4764

[29] Liu X, Rossi A, Poulakakis I. A switchable parallel elastic actuator and its application to leg design for running robots. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2018, 23(6): 2681–2692

[30] Mo A, Izzi F, Haeufle D F B, Badri-Spröwitz A. Effective viscous damping enables morphological computation in legged locomotion. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2020, 7: 110

[31] Lakatos D, Friedl W, Albu-Schäffer A. Eigenmodes of nonlinear dynamics: definition, existence, and embodiment into legged robots with elastic elements. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2017, 2(2): 1062–1069

[32] Picardi G, Chellapurath M, Iacoponi S, Stefanni S, Laschi C, Calisti M. Bioinspired underwater legged robot for seabed exploration with low environmental disturbance. Science Robotics, 2020, 5(42): eaaz1012

[33] Ruina A, Bertram J E A, Srinivasan M. A collisional model of the energetic cost of support work qualitatively explains leg sequencing in walking and galloping, pseudo-elastic leg behavior in running and the walk-to-run transition. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2005, 237(2): 170–192

[34] Zheng J H, Niu J C, Jiang M S, Li M, Rong X W. Dynamic analysis and simulation of spring legs in quadruped robot based on trot gait. Journal of Central South University, 2015, 46(8): 2877–2883

[35] Zhang M H, Zhu YG, Cao A, Wei Q B, Liu Q. Body trajectory optimisation of walking gait for a quadruped robot. IET Cyber-Systems and Robotics, 2023, 5(3): e12094

[36] DingY R, Park H W. Design and experimental implementation of a quasi-direct-drive leg for optimized jumping. In: Proceedings of 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Vancouver: IEEE, 2017: 300–305

[37] Fahmi S, Mastalli C, Focchi M, Semini C. Passive whole-body control for quadruped robots: experimental validation over challenging terrain. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2019, 4(3): 2553–2560

[38] Qin H P, Zhu Y G, Zhang Y Q, Wei Q B. Terrain estimation with least squares and virtual model control for quadruped robots. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2022, 2203(1): 012005

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press