Smooth and efficient walking motions and control for an 8-legged robot

Legged machine technology is constantly improving and as the result the world is moving closer and closer to a scenario in which walking robots are widespread. Before this can happen, such machines must be shown to be safe and reliable which has previously been very difficult to demonstrate. Robots that stumble and bump into terrain features are classic examples of robots with inefficient walking strategies; with each terrain contact there is a loss of energy and accelerated wear and tear on the vehicle, resulting in a reduction of the expected lifespan. In the development of a legged robot that can efficiently negotiate unmapped rough terrain it is believed to be necessary to be able to learn and react adaptively to the unknown terrain contours. This paper presents the novel techniques that contribute to a unique control system that has been developed to provide walking motions for an advanced 8-legged, pneumatically powered walking and climbing robot.