六足机器人整机运动学分析及构型选择

六足机器人整机构型设计和整机运动学模型是机器人样机研制和行为控制的基础。利用GF集理论阐明了六足机器人整机构型设计的实质即为解决机械腿在机身平台上的布局问题,并基于仿生学原理给出了5种整机构型。介绍了一种三自由度并联驱动腿部机构,并利用闭环矢量链及求导的方法建立了基于该腿部机构的六足机器人整机运动学模型。本文给出了六足机器人整机运动学理论及仿真算例,推导出了速度、加速度的理论值及仿真值的拟合图。拟合结果表明:角速度、角加速度的理论值与仿真值的最大误差量级分别为10~(-2)(°)/s和10~(-3)(°)/s~2,验证了理论模型的正确性。基于该理论模型,绘制了不同构型下该并联驱动腿的六足机器人的工作空间分布图,选择了工作空间较大的两种整机构型,并对这两种构型下的六足机器人的运动学性能进行对比分析,选择了一种能够更好发挥该腿部机构综合运动能力的整机构型。本文的研究为该六足机器人的后续研究奠定了理论基础。所使用的整机运动学建模方法对其他六足机器人也实用。     

Method for six-legged robot stepping on obstacles by indirect force estimation

Adaptive gaits for legged robots often requires force sensors installed on foot-tips, however impact, temperature or humidity can affect or even damage those sensors. Efforts have been made to realize indirect force estimation on the legged robots using leg structures based on planar mechanisms. Robot Octopus III is a six-legged robot using spatial parallel mechanism(UP-2UPS) legs. This paper proposed a novel method to realize indirect force estimation on walking robot based on a spatial parallel mechanism. The direct kinematics model and the inverse kinematics model are established. The force Jacobian matrix is derived based on the kinematics model. Thus, the indirect force estimation model is established. Then, the relation between the output torques of the three motors installed on one leg to the external force exerted on the foot tip is described. Furthermore, an adaptive tripod static gait is designed. The robot alters its leg trajectory to step on obstacles by using the proposed adaptive gait. Both the indirect force estimation model and the adaptive gait are implemented and optimized in a real time control system. An experiment is carried out to validate the indirect force estimation model. The adaptive gait is tested in another experiment. Experiment results show that the robot can successfully step on a 0.2 m-high obstacle. This paper proposes a novel method to overcome obstacles for the six-legged robot using spatial parallel mechanism legs and to avoid installing the electric force sensors in harsh environment of the robot’s foot tips.     

双足机器人腿部新构型设计与试验研究

探究高动态性能双足机器人对腿部设计的要求,阐明机器人腿部设计准则、设计方案和实现措施。提出一种腿部串并联新构型方案,膝关节驱动器上移到髋关节,踝关节驱动器上移到膝关节,膝关节驱动器通过简化五连杆机构将运动传递到膝部,踝关节驱动器通过并联四连杆机构将运动传递到踝部。对踝关节并联机构和整个腿部关节进行运动学正逆解,建立新构型机器人的仿真模型。考虑运动控制算法,完成机器人动力学仿真。测试准直驱驱动器性能,并完成串并联构型腿部样机试验验证,机器人可实现0.4m/s的行走速度。结果表明,提出的腿部串并联新构型与传统串联构型比具有更高的运动性能,新构型机器人性能在真机测试中得到验证。该串并联新构型方案在双足机器人和其它服务机器人领域具有广阔的应用前景。     

Gait generation and change of direction for the underactuated three-legged robot

This paper describes a three-legged robot that consists of one actuated leg and two passive legs. The active leg has a knee joint and an ankle joint. The passive legs have no knee joint, although they have a passive ankle joint respectively. The passive leg part and the actuated leg part are linked by a hip part. The robot behavior is passive while the robot is supported by its passive legs and swings the actuated leg part. Generally, in the event that an actuator or a transmitting mechanism fails, robots cannot apply torques to the joint. We therefore took up a walking robot with passive knee joints not only for the energy-efficient walking but also with a view to making ambulation failsafe in case of mechanical failures.     

新型四足步行机器人串并混联腿的运动学分析

针对串联四足机器人行走惯量大,自重/载重比大的问题,提出一种新型串并混联四足步行机器人,并对该机器人的串并混联腿进行运动学分析。该机器人由一个运载平台和四条结构相同的串并混联腿组成,每条腿均由髋关节、大腿、小腿顺次连接构成,其中髋关节为3-RRR并联机构。以能耗最小姿态为最优姿态,基于矢量法求解了该串并混联腿的运动学正解和反解,利用MATLAB和ADAMS软件验证了正解和反解的正确性;基于矢量法和微分变换法求出了该混联腿的速度雅克比矩阵和加速度矩阵,分析了其奇异性,并利用MATLAB软件绘制出该腿的工作空间。结果表明:该腿在髋关节连杆直径d=22mm,大腿杆件直径D=50mm,膝关节转角θ4∈[105°,155°]时,工作空间呈球冠形,最大内接圆半径R=400mm,高度为H∈[500mm,900mm]。本研究对该新型串并混联四足步行机器人的刚度分析、动态性能、机构优化设计和系统控制等的进一步研究具有重要意义。     

Type Design and Behavior Control for Six Legged Robots

The research on legged robots attracted much attention both from the academia and industry. Legged robots are multi-input multi-output with multiple end-e ector systems. Therefore,the mechanical design and control framework are challenging issues. This paper reviews the development of type synthesis and behavior control on legged robots; introduces the hexapod robots developed in our research group based on the proposed type synthesis method. The control framework for legged robots includes data driven layer,robot behavior layer and robot execution layer. Each layer consists several components which are explained in details. Finally,various experiments were conducted on several hexapod robots. The summarization of the type synthesis and behavior control design constructed in this paper would provide a unified platform for communications and references for future advancement for legged robots.     

Design of a novel side-mounted leg mechanism with high flexibility for a multi-mission quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT

Earth rover is a class of emerging wheeled-leg robots for nature exploration. At present, few methods for these robots’ leg design utilize a side-mounted spatial parallel mechanism. Thus, this paper presents a complete design process of a novel 5-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) hybrid leg mechanism for our quadruped earth rover BJTUBOT. First, a general approach is proposed for constructing the novel leg mechanism. Subsequently, by evaluating the basic locomotion task (LT) of the rover based on screw theory, we determine the desired motion characteristic of the side-mounted leg and carry out its two feasible configurations. With regard to the synthesis method of the parallel mechanism, a family of concise hybrid leg mechanisms using the 6-DOF limbs and an L_1F1C limb (which can provide a constraint force and a couple) is designed. In verifying the motion characteristics of this kind of leg, we select a typical (3-UPRU&RRRR)&R mechanism and then analyze its kinematic model, singularities, velocity mapping, workspace, dexterity, statics, and kinetostatic performance. Furthermore, the virtual quadruped rover equipped with this innovative leg mechanism is built. Various basic and specific LTs of the rover are demonstrated by simulation, which indicates that the flexibility of the legs can help the rover achieve multitasking.     

A new approach for development of quadruped robot based on biological concepts

This paper proposes the design and development results of a new quadruped robot. The proposed new quadruped robot has a couple of advantages of flexible locomotion. The quadruped robot is designed and modeled based on a new concept that is the structure model with three segments of quadruped legs. New leg configuration with the simplified operation of four hip actuators is introduced. The posture of the new quadruped robot is more similar to the posture of dog than that of the previous quadruped robots. The objective of this paper is to develop a quadruped robot, which can walk and run in a trot gait with a simple PID controller. Numerical simulation and experimental results are shown to prove the locomotion performance of the proposed controller for the proposed quadruped robot.     

基于任务灵活性的脑外科机器人机构设计

为了避开脑部重要组织,降低手术造成的损伤,脑外科手术机器人需要具有良好的任务灵活性,可以辅助医生将手术针按照特定位姿精确定位到病灶点上.对比分析了两类有解析逆解的脑外科机器人构型,着重分析机器人后两个关节参数对任务灵活性影响,以此针对脑外科机器人工作现实,给出了机器人机构参数优化方法,对两类机器人进行了机构优化设计与选型.此对比分析与优化设计方法可供医疗机器人构型选择.     

一种独立轮腿式机器人的步态规划研究

轮腿式机器人是一种具有轮式和腿式机器人优点的复合式移动机器人,合理的步态规划是其能否实现轮腿协调的关键^[1]。介绍了一种具有独立车轮和机械腿结构的轮腿式机器人。先根据几何约束设定机械腿末端轨迹,然后对不同的步态相做出合理的机构简化,采用D-H建模的方法对机器人进行运动学分析,通过运动学反解获得机器人在轮腿协调爬行时机器人的步态规划。通过样机实验对机器人运动规划的结果进行了验证。结果证明利用文中的规划方法可以很好地指导机器人的运动。     

Gait Analysis of a Radial Symmetrical Hexapod Robot Based on Parallel Mechanisms

Most gait studies of multi-legged robots in past neglected the dexterity of robot body and the relationship between stride length and body height.This paper investigates the performance of a radial symmetrical hexapod robot based on the dexterity of parallel mechanism.Assuming the constraints between the supporting feet and the ground with hinges,the supporting legs and the hexapod body are taken as a parallel mechanism,and each swing leg is regarded as a serial manipulator.The hexapod robot can be considered as a series of hybrid serial-parallel mechanisms while walking on the ground.Locomotion performance can be got by analyzing these equivalent mechanisms.The kinematics of the whole robotic system is established,and the influence of foothold position on the workspace of robot body is analyzed.A new method to calculate the stride length of multi-legged robots is proposed by analyzing the relationship between the workspaces of two adjacent equivalent parallel mechanisms in one gait cycle.Referring to service region and service sphere,weight service sphere and weight service region are put forward to evaluate the dexterity of robot body.The dexterity of single point in workspace and the dexterity distribution in vertical and horizontal projection plane are demonstrated.Simulation shows when the foothold offset goes up to 174 mm,the dexterity of robot body achieves its maximum value 0.164 4 in mixed gait.The proposed methods based on parallel mechanisms can be used to calculate the stride length and the dexterity of multi-legged robot,and provide new approach to determine the stride length,body height,footholds in gait planning of multi-legged robot.     

A systematic graph-based method for the kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots for the lower limbs

The choice of non-anthropomorphic kinematic solutions for wearable robots is motivated both by the necessity of improving the ergonomics of physical Human-Robot Interaction and by the chance of exploiting the intrinsic dynamical properties of the robotic structure so to improve its performances. Under these aspects, this new class of robotic solutions is potentially advantageous over the one of anthropomorphic robotic orthoses. However, the process of kinematic synthesis of non-anthropomorphic wearable robots can be too complex to be solved uniquely by relying on conventional synthesis methods, due to the large number of open design parameters. A systematic approach can be useful for this purpose, since it allows to obtain the complete list of independent kinematic solutions with desired properties. In this perspective, this paper presents a method, which allows to generalize the problem of kinematic synthesis of a non-anthropomorphic wearable robot for the assistance of a specified set of contiguous body segments. The methodology also includes two novel tests, specifically devised to solve the problem of enumeration of kinematic structures of wearable robots: the HR-isomorphism and the HR-degeneracy tests. This method has been implemented to derive the atlas of independent kinematic solutions suitable to be used for the kinematic design of a planar wearable robot for the lower limbs.     

变胞机器人重构及转向时足着地柔顺性控制

变胞机器人能够根据外界环境变化在轮式行驶和足式行走两种运动模式间自然切换,因此兼具在平整结构路面上快速行驶和在崎岖山地越障行走的能力。基于广义坐标法建立了变胞机器人转向重构过程的运动学模型,考虑到重构过程中摆动腿与环境接触时存在较大冲击,提出了利用阻抗控制方法实现摆动腿着地柔顺控制。在传统阻抗控制的基础上,基于李雅普诺夫渐进稳定性定理设计了自适应阻抗控制器,并利用粒子群优化算法对阻抗控制参数进行了优化。通过在不同环境刚度下仿真分析,证实了经过参数优化后的自适应阻抗控制器能够很好地实现对期望接触力的跟随,提高了变胞机器人对未知多变环境的适应性。最后针对变胞机器人转向重构过程中足着地进行了路面实验,进一步证实了优化后的自适应阻抗控制方法的优越性。     

NOVEL FORMULATION OF STATIC STABILITY FOR A WALKING QUADRUPED ROBOT

By defining the static stable area for foot placement, a new approach to analysis of quadruped robot stability is presented. Unlike conventionally, the method avoids solving complicated direct kinematics of quadruped robot and shows the information on the robot stability and the selection of swing leg. Especially, the proposed algorithm can be used as real-time operation for on-line gait generation and control for quadruped robots. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown through a practical crawling experiment of the quadruped robot TITAN-VIII.     

Gait Analysis of Quadruped Robot Using the Equivalent Mechanism Concept Based on Metamorphosis

The previous research regarding the gait planning of quadruped robot focuses on the sequence for lifting o and placing the feet, but neglects the influence of body height. However, body height a ects gait performance significantly, such as in terms of the stride length and stability margin. We herein study the performance of a quadruped robot using the equivalent mechanism concept based on metamorphosis. Assuming the constraints between standing feet and the ground with hinges, the ground, standing legs and robot body are considered as a parallel mechanism, and each swing leg is regarded as a typical serial manipulator. The equivalent mechanism varies while the robot moves on the ground. One gait cycle is divided into several periods, including step forward stages and switching stages. There exists a specific equivalent mechanism corresponding to each gait period. The robot's locomotion can be regarded as the motion of these series of equivalent mechanisms. The kinematics model and simplified model of the equivalent mechanism is established. A new definition of the multilegged robot stability margin, based on friction coe cient, is presented to evaluate the robot stability. The stable workspaces of the equivalent mechanism in the step forward stage of trotting gait under di erent friction coe cients are analyzed. The stride length of the robots is presented by analyzing the relationship between the stable workspaces of the equivalent mechanisms of two adjacent step forward stages in one gait cycle. The simulation results show that the stride length is larger with increasing friction coe cient. We herein propose a new method based on metamorphosis, and an equivalent mechanism to analyze the stability margin and stable workspace of the multilegged robot.     

基于螺旋理论的冗余液压驱动四足机器人运动学分析

四足机器人的各种研究大多基于四条腿弯曲方向一致展开的。对于液压驱动且具有冗余度的四足机器人,静止姿态下,其前面两条腿与后面两条腿成对称弯曲状。为了研究这种机器人单腿运动和躯体运动状态,文中建立了基于螺旋理论的液压驱动四足机器人运动学模型,包括给出了单腿串联运动学逆解和躯体并联运动学正解。然后根据机器人行走过程设计出后面两条腿的髋关节与膝关节摆幅角度,通过建立的运动学模型,得到前面两条腿的关节变量及躯体姿态。最后通过MATLAB数值仿真和ADAMS虚拟样机实验,对机器人在一种行走方案下的躯体运动姿态进行仿真对比,验证了所建运动学模型的可靠性。     

沙地环境下椭圆型腿运动特性实验研究

对移动机器人来说,适应复杂环境是相当重要的.椭圆型腿结合了轮式和腿式的优点,具有椭圆型腿的移动机器人在地面运动中有很好的运动性能,但椭圆型腿与地面的动力学还没有深入的研究,尤其是椭圆型腿在松软沙地介质的通过性.主要介绍椭圆型腿在沙地介质中运动性能的研究实验平台的设计,同时对其运动性能进行分析.通过对移动平台重心起伏、周期步长、前进速度和推进效率的分析,为椭圆型腿的优化提供实验依据.椭圆腿的足地实验对椭圆型腿的优化设计和移动机器人的控制有重要意义.     

四足步行机器人关节位姿和稳定性研究

四足机器人爬行控制的关键是关节位姿的确定、机器人稳定性的判断和摆动腿顺序的选择.提出了一种求解关节位姿驱动变量的有效方法,此方法能获得满意的四足机器人步行步态.通过定义立足点的静态稳定区域提出了一种机器人稳定性分析的新方法,该方法不仅避免了复杂的机器人正动力学求解问题,同时还可给出机器人稳定性和立足点稳定范围的信息.实际爬行实验验证了所提方法的有效性.     

六自由度轮式并联机器人及其构型方法

车轮是人类历史上最伟大的发明之一,在交通运输领域得到了广泛的研究与应用。将车轮这种特殊的运动副引入到传统并联机器人构型设计中,可以有效拓展并联机器人的工作空间。基于全方位轮的关联矩阵描述,将含车轮的串联支链构型综合问题转化为含车轮的关联矩阵求解问题,综合出两类含车轮的无约束串联支链,并分析了两类串联支链的受力稳定性。提出了两种六自由度轮式并联机器人新构型,分析了基于全向轮的轮式并联机器人的自由度属性,并成功研制出了一台实验样机。六自由度轮式并联机器人融合了移动机器人和传统并联机器人的优势,不仅具有移动效率高、移动范围广的优点,且具备在局部小范围内进行高精度六自由度操作的能力,可广泛应用于大型精密设备制造过程中的加工、运输、调姿和装配等工业操作。