Stepping over large obstacles by humanoid robot HRP-2

Humanoid robots have the potential to navigate through complex environments such as a standard human living environment. One of the advantages is that a biped can negotiate obstacles by stepping over them, which is the topic of the work presented in this paper. The main focus of this research is to investigate stepping over large obstacles. Previous work has reported on algorithms using quasi-static balancing, which resulted in somehow unnatural slow motions. This work however, focuses on stepping over larger obstacles in a fluent dynamic motion, using stability criteria on zero moment point instead of center of gravity. All the work is formulated in function of the elaborate HRP-2 humanoid research platform. The strategy uses a preview controller for dynamic balancing and consists of collision free trajectory generation for the feet and waist. This video provides a proof of concept for dynamically stepping over large obstacles by experiment and pinpoints some difficulties in the planning for practical implementations. Several measures have been implemented e.g., to avoid overstretching of the knee and reduce impact at touch-down

Reference:
Dynamically Stepping Over Obstacles by the Humanoid Robot HRP-2
Authors: VERRELST Bjorn, STASSE Olivier, YOKOI Kazuhito, VANDERBORGHT Bram
IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoids Robots - Humanoids 2006, December 4-6, 2006 Genova, Italy, pp. 117-123
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=4115589

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• humanoid
• robot
• HRP-2
• dynamically
• stepping
• over
• obstacles

[JUKIO01]

so, is this robot basically going to be used mainly for construction? or will it be able to do lots of other operations?

[BramVanderborght]

@JUKIO01 Now it is a research robot to investigate different technologies (like programs,...) so it can work in a human environment like home or office.

[hastinbe]

Do the motors get too hot after extensive use?

[BramVanderborght]

we did not had that experience that the motors got overheated. The engineers made a huge effort to cool the whole system efficiently, one of the reasons why the interior design is a secret.

[primespider]

Can the knee joints handle or power the stress of a jump?

[BramVanderborght]

I'm afraid jumping will be difficult. Problem is that the joints are stiff due to use of electrical motors with high gain-PID control. Compliant actuators are more intersting to absorb impact shocks and store release energy while jumping as we do in for example the achilles tendon.

[jshitz1]

looks cooler then the other bots

[creaturebotman]

'''

Why do all these robot researchers think robots have to look human?

All they do is walk, run (hardly), and play the violin. USLESS!

I think form should follow function.

Make a machine that can do something useful then slap some skin on it.

It may look like a monster but it will be a useful monster.

[Rpahut1]

Nothing will stop em. Not even 15x5 cm obstacle. Robots will rule the world =D

[Damasteri]

Yeah, HRP-2 looks coolest.

[emo4elmo]

it looks like a megazord or a TransFormer! cool!