Integrated, Object-oriented Dynamics Modeling for Design, Trajectory Optimization, and Control of Legged Robots

Abstract

The development of flexible, dynamic and autonomous (i.e. guided by external and internal sensor data) motions for quadrupedal and humanoid robots is still a challenging and mainly unsolved task. The dynamics of legged robots is characterized by a free-floating, tree-like multibody systems structure with a high number of degrees of freedom consisting of many links and many actuated joints. Due to the frequent changes of the contact situation during legged motion frequent changes in the dynamic model occur. This special structure can usually not be utilized for an efficient implementation when using general purpose MBS formalisms and tools. To cope with the high complexity of legged robots model-based methods for real-time actuator control, for on- and off-line trajectory optimization, and for controler design specifically tailored to the one scenario of legged robots must be developted. For rapid an virtual prototyping a most desireable goal is not only to apply the same abstract dynamic model representations and mathematical models but also as many parts as possible of the same program code for evaluating legged robot dynamics during all stages of design, development, implenentation and operation of a legged robot.