Energy-Efficient Monopod Running with a Large Payload Based on Open-Loop Parallel Elastic Actuation
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Abstract
Despite the intensive investigations in the past, energetic efficiency is still one of the most important unsolved challenges in legged robot locomotion. This paper presents an unconventional approach to the problem of energetically efficient legged locomotion by applying actuation for spring mass running. This approach makes use of mechanical springs incorporated in parallel with relatively low-torque actuation, which is capable of both accommodating large payload and locomotion with low power input by exploiting self-excited vibration. For a systematic analysis, this paper employs both simulation models and physical platforms. The experiments show that the proposed approach is scalable across different payload between 0 and 150kg, and able to achieve a total cost of transport (TCOT) of 0.10, which is significantly lower than the previous locomotion robots and most of the biological systems in the similar scale, when actuated with the near-to natural frequency with the maximum payload.
Description
Keywords
Journal Title
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1941-0468